Lost To The Void
by LaineL0viXo
Summary: The rude cowboy kept emotions away. And the cheerful farmer let too many get her way. In the end, both wound up with less than fortunate pasts. But will they take their walls down when they feel the need to live? Because even if Chelsea would, Vaughn wasn't one to risk it.
1. Prologue

**Hey everyone, so I thought of writing a Velsea fic and this is what came out to be :")**

**I do not own Harvest Moon or any of these characters, and it's not necessary to say this because it's way too obvious. But there are a few OCs in here that you probably won't see in the future, and that quote down there belongs to me (^.^)**

**Have Fun :")**

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_**Prologue**_

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"_People who want to live will do so no matter the circumstance. Hope finds them.  
And for those who've had enough with what they've been through, they make that little hope walk away itself."_

* * *

_**Vaughn**_

I just kept walking my way to nowhere in the moonless black night. I did not have the faintest idea of where I was going or better yet, where my feet were taking me. Right then, at that very moment I did not give a crap and I just wanted to leave this stupid place which was full of utterly thick-headed morons.

Everything was wrong and nothing could be fixed, I had no one I could rely on any more. My sole support and the only person in this idiotic world who could ever understand me was gone. _**Gone!**_ And I knew it very well that this wasn't a nightmare because in the past few years I realized that my life was worse than that.

My mother was gone and she left me alone! And _all _of this was that bastard's fault. That monster killed her in the worst way ever. That bastard of a man had completely ruined her, because even mentally had she become numb and dead. I _knew _it though, I knew this would happen and one day he would kill her. If only she had not kept her hopes up so high. But it was over and she met her fate. How could someone expect a fucked up person like my _own_ father to change, but she did. My mother did...

_-Flashback-_

_The bell rang and I gathered my belongings and got up. I walked out of the class and then down the hallway. After walking absent-mindedly for a while I realized that school would be leaving early today and it sucked because I just did not want to go back to that damned place. Yeah, that's what people called home but I'd rather die than ever say that. I walked my way to the last class of the day which I guess was history. That was one confusing hell of a subject but I had better things to worry about than this._

_Class got over before I knew and I slowly walked outside. Everything irritated me including all those stupid little jerks who would just talk, talk and talk without even bothering to look up to see where they were actually walking. They were really stupid for thinking that they had all the biggest problems in world, when in reality those 'big' problems were not even worth shedding a single tear on._

_I quietly walked down the empty street which led to where I lived, not a lot of people live there and it was kind of strange too, but since this area wasn't too big it didn't matter. This street and the one that joined it were just so empty and quiet that it was almost peaceful here. At least walking here was, once you got to hell down the lane, you forget what peaceful is. Peaceful… I sighed like I was exhaling all my worries out, but truth to be told; they're infinite worries, they don't end because they're generated by a demon._

_Sometimes I just wished that I could live like a normal person who did not have troubles and I wouldn't mind even if that would be for a day. Sometimes I just wanted that man to die and it was utterly shameful that he was my father. Sometimes all I wanted was to see was a genuine smile on my mother's face. But all of this was just impossible with that beast standing in the way. He just wouldn't let my mother get away from him and there was no way that I would leave my mother with him because he would just do anything he wanted._

_I dreaded the fact that my mother wasn't safe there. Definitely she wasn't, but she just wouldn't let go of it. It hurt me to see those bruises on her face and hands, and how I wish I would be able to stop all of this. But you know what? Sometimes you're just so helpless that you start feeling hopeless. Speaking of hope, I realized I didn't even remember the last time I felt happy or sad. Fuck happiness! I don't even know what it feels like. For all I know, I'm simply like a black empty hole that is living out of the fact that he's even alive. _

_It feels like… nothing at all. _

_How I would love to kill that bastard and dance over his dead body but I just can't do that. My mother is full of peace, love, faith and god knows what else. I wonder if she's ever even seen such things in her life that she could be so full of it and keep it up even though she has lived with a man like him for so long._

_Yes, he was a crazy person with mental problems. When these signs first started showing up, mother even considered showing him to a doctor. But considering the psycho brain he has got, he just wouldn't agree that there was anything wrong with him at all. In fact, I might as well say that this was just his purpose, no disorders involved; to ruin all of our lives forever._

_Whatever, it was way too late to regret and I started considering running away to somewhere far and taking my mother along. But yeah, she thought he would change his ways someday which he sure as hell won't. Actually to be honest, I'd say that it was tiring to think about all of this every day and every minute of your life without getting to anywhere._

_I let out a sigh as I had reached my destination and unwillingly I turned the knob of the door only to find out that it was already open._ Strange, it's never like this_. I didn't want to go inside because I was scared I would get to see another fight or worse yet, the devil's face. It was a little weird that I was scared even though I wasn't a child anymore but at the same time it was not; just try being me for a damned day if you question that. It was scary and disgusting to see that douche's crappy face._

_I quietly went inside only to be hit by the sickening smell of alcohol and I could hardly see through the awful fog created by the cigarettes. My eyes were burning and I shut them tight for a second before I would decide what to do next. _

_I could not see where he was and I settled on the fact that he might've gone out. It was actually very peaceful because right now I could do whatever I wanted without having that prick in my way. The stench of alcohol and cigarette combined together was so disgusting that I had to open the windows to let all the smell and fog outside. I entered the kitchen and saw that mother was not there._

"_Mother?" I called out and a part of me suddenly hoped that she would reply. But there was nothing except for the sound of the busy city. Okay so maybe she must've fallen asleep. Yeah that made sense but… she never just falls asleep. I don't even think there was a last time when she must've slept peacefully._

_I entered the bedroom to see that she was lying on the bed with her face down on the mattress. Huh? It confused me to no end and I stood there trying to analyze what mus- My heart stopped beating for a second as my eyes spotted something red. Maybe…blood! What the fuck is that, why in the fucking world is there so much blood?! I wanted to run over to her and wake her up. But then something hit me hard which made me want to sink down to my knees._

_I gathered all my courage and heart while I tried to approach her slowly. As I got closer I just stood there like a dumbass not even knowing what to do. I was struck so hard that my brain and body were giving up on me. Ever since the day had started, I felt that something was wrong; like nervousness? And now it all was falling into place; everything that I'd been feeling and thinking since today._

_It took me some strength to fight my brain in order to move but ultimately I was able to shake her shoulder lightly and ask her to wake up. But she didn't. She never woke up. I felt hollowed and empty. My brain started going numb and I couldn't hear anything. I heard that kind of silence which was impossible to hear in a city; the dead-lined silence that you hear when someone slaps you real hard with a rock hand. It was so bad that I couldn't feel my own hands or legs, and I was unable to find my voice._

_But yet I tried and then took her by the shoulders to turn her around to check if she was breathing or if her heart was beating. What the hell?! I wanted kill myself for even thinking of such a possibility. But what I saw got me into shock and paralyzed me. 'Don't let this be real, please. Tell me this is a bad dream.' Those words suddenly popped in my head and I hoped it was only like it had said… but it was not, reality was much meaner than I'd always assumed it to be._

_I felt thousands of knives stabbing me all over my body and I felt numb from head to toe. My legs no longer held enough strength to hold me because the next moment I instantly fell on my knees and my hands reached out to hold on to the bed for support. Every single vein in my body felt like it had been turned into jelly in that second. Not just jelly; cold and frozen jelly._

_I saw her lying there lifeless and it looked like there was a knife which had recently been stabbed right into her stomach. There was blood all over her clothes and on the bed sheet where she was lying. Her usual pink cheeks now looked black and blue and there were certain new wounds. Her white sweatshirt was bloody red and I realized that the blood was still fresh. _

_There was so much blood that it scared the shit out of me to even guess what might've happened. I couldn't believe what was just right in front of me. I had thought that this could happen and it even scared me shitless, but never in my worst times had I thought that I would actually live to see this day. All those bad thoughts came back and slapped me with their sneering faces. _

_I noticed her right hand was holding something tightly but I was way too disturbed to check what that was though. Right now, it was reality that was my only enemy. I wanted to prove all of this wrong so badly. I wanted to fight the fuck out of this horrible truth and smash it under my foot but I knew I couldn't. I was so weak that I felt lifeless and useless in my nothing self; like I had been paralyzed out of my body and soul, left only with my dead corpse and a beating heart which felt only pain._

_I was still on my knees there, not knowing what to do. I would do anything right now to see her twitch her toe or thumb. It felt as if there was smoke inside my heart and it just felt so heavy. I wanted to scream, so loudly that it would tear my own eardrums but I could not find my own voice. I wanted to hug her and never let go. My brain was not at all ready to accept this. I only hoped that I would suddenly wake up and realize that this was just a nightmare… but it was all too real to be something as fake as a nightmare._

_There were no tears out of my numbness. I tried my best to create a field around me which repelled any thoughts from reaching me whatsoever. It was hard yet it was worth escaping reality for those few seconds. But as the hands on the clock ticked by, I accepted that I had to do something. Something or anything; I didn't give a fuck because everything would end up in me feeling like crap and accepting the truth. _

_And as soon as that hit me, there was a new feeling of guilt that washed over me._

_It was my fault.  
I could've saved her.  
She might be here if I had never left for school in the first place.  
I would still have my mother if I weren't so stupid._

_How I wish there was a time machine which would take me back in time; to see my mother talk or to save her from this stupid death. It wouldn't have been so if I didn't have to leave for school in the first place. It would be different, too fucking different. I'm the one to be blamed, I'm the fucking useless son who couldn't save his mother from this wrath and I'm the beast; no one else. Tears starting running down my face like my eyes would dry up any second now. So hard and so fast, too fast…Why?_

_But at the same time it also hit me that it was not in my power to save my mother. I couldn't do anything, this was only supposed to happen and this was just the order. But she was my mother, I wanted to save her and I wouldn't mind breaking any fucking order for that. My fault, my mistake, I'm the idiot. I was never one to ever cry but right now the things were worse on my case and for some reason nothing seemed in the proper place anymore._

_But I couldn't do anything then because it was too late to be changed. I fucked my own life up and there was no amount of regretting that can possibly bring my mother back. No matter how much I'd feel sorry or mourn over this, I couldn't get her back, my mother was GONE! And she's not coming back- ever! But these words didn't help either, only forced me to shove the truth down my fucking throat and burst me with pain._

_This time I lowered my head so that I could look at her better. Warm tears ran down my face and blurred my vision. There were so many questions that ran through my mind and all of them which I did not answer. I could feel a really dark cloak that masked my heart. It just felt so heavy that I could break right through the floor and fall straight down. I wanted to run around like a crazy person and just scream my voice box out. I wanted to ask her to come back but looking at her in front of me I knew that she wouldn't._

'_Someone please do something, help me. I want my mother back and I'd give my life for that. Please help me, save my mother, keep me from going insane. Please don't do this to me, I will go crazy. Please bring her back. Please…' Was repeatedly going on in my head like a chant because I couldn't even speak at the moment. But no matter how much I thought about the same thing over, it did no help, instead, a black mist of hopelessness was showered upon me every time._

_I saw her face and it looked at peace as if she had no worries at all. No worries?! If I were asked I'd say that she was the most worried person ever, it was just that she never showed. She kept that as her secret and lived with that. Lived and suffered every single second of her life, lived and smiled at us that healed every pain of ours, lived for others and got back nothing but slaps, kicks, and… a horrible death. And I knew who had done this to her. Who else would?_

_I wanted to rip that asshole limb by limb and then put him on fire. I'd pour acid in that fucker's mouth then watch him scream till his death and I swear to god if I ever see him again, no matter where, I would kill him! I wanted to give him such a bad death that he would be sorry he ever did that to my mother. I wanted to hurt him again and again, watch him die a thousand times and still not be pleased. Death should be shoved up his damned ass so that he can know the worth of a single life and that he ruined a lot of them. _

_He'll be the unluckiest son of a bitch if he ever lives to see me and I'll be the luckiest one if I live to see him. But he must've ran away. I'm not surprised though, because even while he was all drunk and lost he could still think about himself. He was just a selfish idiot. Words weren't enough to describe him. Even the biggest swearer in this world would fall back down on his ass and scratch his head. I wonder where he might be, but whatever, he can burn in hell for the whole of eternity for all I care._

_Right now, nothing else mattered except for my mother who was lying lifeless in front of me. I was going crazy and I wanted to pull my hair out of my head. I wanted to bang my head on the wall and do something or anything that could bring her back. Part of me believed she was gone while the other half said I was hallucinating and that this was just an illusion along with my mind playing games on me. That was what made me mad._

"_Mother, please wake up." My choked, rough voice was splitting and breaking as I spoke. I was shocked because I didn't find my voice; it found me. But in spite of that I didn't see her move- at all! I couldn't see her breathing neither was her heart beating. I was too late, too damn late._

"_Don't do this, please come back." I pleaded and begged for her to come back even when something kept telling me I shouldn't. If miracles were searching for a chance to happen, this should be it. I only wished that somehow a miracle would happen and I could have my mother back._

"_Don't you HEAR me, Mother? Wake up, please!" This time my voice was louder and I shook her by the shoulders. But there was only thick silence that slapped me back in response. I had a feeling which I couldn't express- a feeling which made me want to rip my heart out and crush it. A feeling which begged me to do something really, really stupid. And I would truly give everything I had right now to have her back. Heck! I could give up my own life._

_I saw her right hand clutched and it looked as if she had held something in it. I tried to open her hand but her hand was like stone, they felt pale and cold unlike her always warm and bright ones. After trying my best to gently open her hand, it finally did. I saw a piece of paper which was folded up. _

_I opened it slowly and there was something written on it along with a few blood stains. Another tear rolled down my right cheek and made a stain on the paper. It was my mother's handwriting and it looked like she had to struggle to write that-_

"_I'm very sorry for not being able to be there for you, Vaughn.  
But I will always be present with you at all times.  
I'm also very sorry for all that you had to go through.  
Although I hope you will learn to be happy in time  
I have always loved you and I always will…"_

_Those words… changed everything I felt at that moment, those words rang away and vibrated in my head as if my mother was speaking them. It was like she was right there looking at me while I read that and as if she was smiling. Her words made their way back in my head. All that she had written came back._

_She was sorry? For what? She was the one that went through all of that, not me. She never did anything wrong that she was apologizing for. But I was able understand what she had meant through that and I quietly folded it back and tucked it in my pocket._

"_I'm sorry too…" I said while looking straight at her and then I stopped again to ponder about the fact that I had lost my mother. My brain was simply ignoring that as a fact and it would just not be accepted._

"_Mother, what will I do? Why did this have to happen to you? You were a great person and you're the reason I'm so strong right now. You have nothing to be sorry about…" I forced the words out as if it were all written in my brain already. But to say the truth, right now, I wasn't as strong as I had just said. In fact I could faint any moment now. _

_There was just so much to take in that I wanted to leave all of this and never come back. Like vanishing somewhere far; where there would be peace. But places like that only existed in your head. I looked at my mother's face once again, not very sure if I should be happy that she's at peace or if I should be sad at my tragic loss that I just suffered because of that devil. _

_I felt so much pain yet I felt like I was hollowed through. It felt so bad that no matter how much I cursed myself, the emptiness would not fill. It was like a never ending pain which would dry my sockets out and make me crumble into my own self in time. Like it would always be empty no matter the tears and pain which would try to fill it up._

_How am I going to live through this? This isn't easy, it wasn't supposed to happen now. I still loved her, I wasn't ready to let her get snatched from me. She deserved better than what she had, much more. Her life was meant to be like that of a queen; not here with a beast killing her every second. She was too good to be just a person … my mother, she was an angel._

_Apart from everything else that would be happening today, I just wanted to do anything but believe this whatsoever so I closed my eyes shut, even though I knew the tears and the pain would come back, any time now..._

_-Flashback End-_

"Why her?" Was all I could mutter under my breath as the tears flooded down my face and choked my throat. My vision was awfully clouded and I just hoped that I would get hit by a truck or whatever and never ever wake up. What hurt more than her death was believing and accepting it. I wish I could've done something to change that, but it was too late.

I only lived because I had a reason- my mother, and now that she was gone I knew I had nothing more left to live for. At one damn point I had even considered suicide but mother found out and told me there was nothing worse than giving up your life. That was the only thing that had held me back then and now that she was gone there was no one left to console me or stop me from doing whatever the hell I wanted. She meant the world to me and it made only made me madder when I went into thinking about all that in detail.

I left that stupid place which was just a fucked up and alcohol-reeking hut which was supposed to be called home. _Home? Really?!_ I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time because thinking of that place being home made me cringe inwardly. It was my mother who kept me together but there is absolutely no one that can do that now.

The cold weather made me shiver and it was surprising that I could even feel anything at all after being so numb. All I could feel was the very hurting pierce in my heart which felt as if someone had pierced a knife through it and it was only because of the void of losing her.

It then started to rain and I felt awfully heavy. Something was clouding my thoughts and my vision so badly that I couldn't see what was in front of me. I stumbled and tripped while walking and tried my best to stay up and hold on to my consciousness. But with every passing second and every step that I took, it only became harder to hold onto nothing that I had left in me.

Everything around me was like a blur, it all felt so damn strange that it was like someone had smudged black paint on the dark night with a sponge. Even then, I felt a strong urge to laugh like an idiot because all of it looked like a cartoon; one part was big and the other was smaller. All I saw ahead of me was a tiny, fuzzy white light and a faint beeping sound. _Great! Now I'm going to die, I don't feel like living anyways then why would I struggle now?_

With that strong confidence I tried to walk towards the source of light in the pitch black darkness without thinking of anything else. Walking became a challenge with every step but the light in front of me grew bigger and brighter along with the growing sound. I didn't want to stop to ponder over any fact now; I was finally getting to get over with my life.

Suddenly the light grew so bright that it was hard to see anything besides that. Before I could do anything else, my consciousness had slipped away so far that I knew it wouldn't be possible to get it back now.

And then all out of the blue I could feel myself being thrown away by something that I was probably hit by. For a split second I was not on the ground anymore but that feeling went away as soon as it came. Something extremely agonizing started taking over my body. The pain started from the very center and then spread around as if it were being stirred in me.

The pain was so excruciating that it became a constant fight to keep it away. There was a lot of weight over me, which made it impossibly hard to even think. I tried to move but with a quick snap everything fell into the blackness within a second. I had lost to this agony and with that realization I left grip on to whatever was left in me to embrace the darkness.

**…**

_Too many images. Too many thoughts._ _So confusing…_

My consciousness was slowly coming back to me and it took me a long time to realize that. My mind was not able to roam freely yet there was so much confusion that I found it better not to even try. Everything in my head was so fuzzy that thousands of possibilities got jumbled up in one another.

My head hurt badly and the first thing that hit me was confusion. _Where was I? What happened? Am I dead? _I analyzed all of these questions in my head and I sure as hell came up with answers. It was so hard to feel myself that I almost felt immobilized.

It was so fucking hard to stick in one place. I couldn't determine one fact without the other one jumping in. There was a long, annoying gap but eventually I was feeling mentally stable again. Staring at the blackness I realized that my eyes weren't open and as if they needed time to start up too.

The images in my brain were replaying in front of me like a slideshow. Slowly all of that happened was starting to crawl back in and soon enough everything was crystal clear again. Not crystal but clear enough for me to not go mad.

Regret stuffed in me and kicked me for trying so hard to recall everything because along with the remembrance came pain.

I remember being at her funeral and then roaming the dark streets in my drunk self. _And I thought it was a nightmare... _All of that really did happen and just because of that one fucked up prick. The recent feelings came back and I felt quite nostalgic. The nostalgia went away but the hurt never did.

_But am I even alive?_ I remember that stupid light and sound. What if I really did die? How is it possible that a man cannot even understand if he's dead? Maybe the light theory that the old guy had told me was just bullshit. Well, even if it was I won't be believing anything else because that shit is stuck in my mind.

For the first time in a really long time I felt relieved, I don't know for what though. Maybe because I wasn't surrounded by that devil. Or maybe because I wasn't in that shithole anymore. I'm not really sure but whatever it is won't last too long. _I was bound to crap anyways, right?_

If I'm not alive anymore then why am I not feeling anything special? What I meant was, I didn't see angels with those harp things around here but to be honest I actually felt devils banging something with an iron rod in my head.

Within a quick second I could feel myself again. I could smell something very familiar. Something like…_hospitals?_ Don't let that be true because for some reason I absolutely hated this smell.

But one thing that I felt good about was the fact that mother is at peace right now and she's probably happy wherever she is. But it still stung me and hurt me that I would not be seeing her again. And how she left was probably the worst way ever. But if I ever saw that bastard again I would still stab millions of knives straight in his stomach and pour acid over him and burn him to death.

"I think he's awake." A female voice exclaimed in a soft tone. Her voice was so soft yet it hurt my ears. _Can't she see that she should be quiet?_ I wanted to get up and hit her but I could definitely do better than hit a woman. And if I ever did so I would be down to the same level as my father. I would personally myself never ever hit a woman, it was absolutely against my morals.

I tried to open my eyes but they just felt so damn heavy, as if someone had dropped dumbbells on each of them. Well, I don't care as long as I get to be away from all that noise and I can rest. I tried to sleep but it was impossible with some nut popping in every other second. Then just out of nothing I remembered the tune my mother used to hum when I was much smaller. It was a little dim yet the comfort it bought me wasn't…

_-Flashback-_

"_Mother, I can't sleep my back hurts." I whimpered in pain as it felt like my back was on fire. I could see the tears in my mother's eyes and I regretted expressing my pain. I could see it in her eyes that she felt bad and she considered it being her fault that my father hit me. But it wasn't- it just wasn't her fault that he wanted to release his unreasonable anger on any of us. In fact, my mother tried protecting us the best she could but she was just very helpless._

"_Don't cry, it will be over very soon." My mother choked her voice out forcefully and in that very process a single teardrop landed on my cheek. I stung me as it fell; it hurt me to see my mother hurting at that time._

"_Why are you sad?" I asked while wiping the wetness off from her left cheek. I looked at her and she smiled at me; a smile which healed all of my pains._

"_I'm sad because you're hurt and I couldn't do anything to help. You know, all I want is for you two to be good human beings and if this happens I would consider my living to be worth." She spoke away softly and looked away from me towards my other sibling who had already slept. And even though I was small I could still see through her words and what they meant._

"_I will be a good person if that's what you want." I promised her and gave her a wide, understanding smile._

"_Don't just do this for me. Do it for yourself, be a good person to make yourself happy. Trust me, you will feel at peace." She explained and I let the words sink in my head slowly. I closed my eyes and nodded._

"_I think it's late you should sleep, goodnight." She whispered and kissed my forehead._

"_Yes mother." I looked at her and nodded. She placed her hands over my eyes and closed them. After that she started humming a very similar tune- it was something heavenly to me and something that no human could mimic. My mother's voice was so angelic that I doubted if it even belonged here. To me she was just an angel in disguise but I was very proud to say she was my mother._

_-Flashback End-_

Inwardly I smiled, but outwardly I couldn't even move a muscle. I remembered all of it even though I was small. But the truth was that I never small enough. In fact, childhood was something I'd never seen. I missed my mother, she was the one person that could ever get me. But now that she's gone and no matter how much I regret about whatever happened- I won't get her back.

I could feel the presence of someone in the room; probably that annoying lady. It was like she was pacing slowly and watching me. I tried to move my hand but something pulled it back and a sharp current ran through my veins. I winced in pain and I heard someone's footsteps rush over to me. My eyes shot open at that very second. What I saw was a nurse-like woman who was practically _hovering_ over me.

"Oh no, I don't think you should really move." The blonde haired nurse spoke softly and placed my hand back into the position it was earlier in. I was confused as I took in what was going on. I saw that there were IVs, some tubes and god knows what hooked up on a stand right beside where I _lay._ Okay so all of them were attached to my hand or some other place, that is why I couldn't move my hand.

It seemed like I was in a hospital room and it was a pretty big one. The walls were a very soft light green color and the flooring was clear white marble. The warm sunlight was blocked out by the heavy blinds only peeping a little through the small gap. But the smell didn't seem to fade away._ You don't expect a hospital to smell like cupcakes now do you_?

Unfortunately as I tried to move my head in the other direction it just seemed to be stuck._ Can someone tell me what the hell is going on? _I saw the nurse who was looking at me sympathetically. _Seriously?! What is making me look so damn pathetic?_

_Well, I am probably looking fucking pathetic right now because of all these IVs and… I have a damn plaster on my left leg and my hand. What the hell happened with me?_ _Did someone run a truck over me or something_? That probably can't be possible, _right? _My thoughts were disrupted when I saw the doctor enter the room, walking so painfully slow that I wanted to push him from behind.

"How are you feeling?" The doctor smiled at me and checked out the IV bottles that were hanging up and took a quick glimpse at the lot of monitors beside the bed. _How am I feeling?_ _Hah, I'm feeling paralyzed and it won't be long before my head bursts into flames. _I had this sudden urge to be sarcastic but then he'd probably start thinking that maybe I had hit my head somewhere. And I definitely did not want to visit a psychologist right away.

"My head hurts, but can someone tell me what just happened to me?" I couldn't hold it in anymore and I just asked him straight away. He looked so calm and still as if he had nothing in the world to worry about.

"Sure thing but before that I'll have to ask you a few questions. What is your name?" He inquired while he also propelled his clipboard and pen into position, waiting for my answer. _Who's the doc? Shouldn't he know my name?_ But since I don't have anyone, he wouldn't be knowing. _Yeah, right. He wouldn't have had a dream saying 'That unknown guy there is Vaughn.'_

"Vaughn Calder." I said as a matter of fact and waited for him to start his survey on me. With a click of his pen he started writing something and after a few seconds turned back to me again.

"I see you remember your name but do you remember everything else that you're supposed to know?" He stared down at me wearing a questioning face. "Maybe something like what happened or something as basic as your age?" _I wish I could say that I don't remember anything._ But I did, a little too painfully though.

"I do remember everything. I'm just clueless about how I got here." I didn't want him to start asking questions about my own life so I quietly diverted the topic in a different direction because truth to be told I didn't remember anything because I was piss drunk. And as far as I remember my age I'm sixteen. This time I was curious. _Aren't I supposed to know anything?_

"Actually, you were hit by a speeding truck and you are very lucky to be alive." He paused while he described how pathetic I was right now to ponder over something. _Hit by a truck? Lucky to be alive?! _No I don't think that's very lucky. "And since you're up I think we should call on your family because all of this time no one showed up at all." The doctor said with slight concern on his face.

Bitterness filled in me as I spoke, "I don't _have_ a family now will please tell me the rest." My eyes shut tightly at the word '_have'_ to compress my anger back in. By his face I could say that he was sorry but I don't need anyone's pity. He'll be good as long as he doesn't bring it up again and minds his own business.

"I'm sorry about that…" He trailed off and quickly went back to what he was saying because maybe he noticed that I didn't care but deep inside it still hurt.

"So as I was saying it was also because of the quick help you've gotten but certainly you have some really severe injuries which include multiple fractures and you've also lost a lot of blood because of which a blood transfusion was required. And as for the minor injuries, they will eventually heal. Nothing big about it but you certainly can't be careless about that either. And luckily for you, you haven't suffered from any kind of organ failure or internal bleeding but inspite of that you were still in a very critical condition when you were bought in. But that is enough information for now, but just so you know you were out for almost nine days." The doctor clarified about whatever had happened in a little too much detail. I supposed his name was Austin Hudson because that is what was written on the small patch on his coat.

I just blinked my eyes because I did not know what else to do. I could not move my head and I sure as hell did not want to say anything right now.

_A truck hit me and I have been helped by someone, I have multiple fractures and I also needed a transfusion to make up for the loss of _blood_ and I have been very… Lucky. No way! Helped? Someone helped me. Maybe there is a little humanity left in this damned world after all. I've been out for nine fucking days and… This is perfect, just was I needed!_

No matter what, but I wouldn't consider myself getting out of that accident lucky at _all! _Because my save definitely came along with its own consequences. Let me take money for an instance; I don't have a single penny in my pocket and then what about the hospital bill? I don't have anywhere to go in this condition. I don't think I could even drag my broken ass anywhere.

And god alone knows if my injuries are permanent or not. _Damn, why couldn't I just die? Oh yeah, because I'm bound to be messed up. But what did I ever do to deserve this? Why does karma have to bite me in the ass every time?_ I decided that I might as well ask him about the charges right now because I definitely didn't want my pathetic ass to be kicked out of here.

"Um... what about the hospital charge?" I enquired and tried my best not to sound timid.

"Well, so the thing is that you really don't have to worry about that because the person which bought you in is also paying for you." Was the baffling reply that I got and there I went thinking that how in the world someone was being so nice... _to me?_ Whatever, there must be some reason behind that too. No fucking person thinks so much about someone else unless they want their work done.

"I see you're in a pretty stable condition right now but I require you to not think about anything. As it is you've been injured a lot, we don't want to put any kind of burden on you…" He kept going on and on without any signs of shutting up so I found it better to just block him out. _How can I not be at least stable when I was sleeping for nine damned days?!_

"Who is this _person_?" I asked and the doctor just nodded his head.

"I will call him right away." He just gave a tiny smile and walked out of the room patiently and calmly. It seriously made me want to laugh seeing how someone could act so fucking peacefully. Back to _the person _and whoever the fuck he is. I just hope I'm not getting in any more trouble right now because I am already feeling awful as I am.

Anyways I don't hope anymore; you hope, you realize you're wrong and then get back to feeling wretched._ I've become such an emotionless idiot_. I admired at my own self and felt confused as to how anyone really feels happy or sad. _Me?_ I don't even feel sad or pitiful anymore, it's like I'm a black hole who is empty from inside and nothing from outside but even then my brain keeps whirring around like a damn wheel twenty-four hours of the day.

Just then I saw the door open and a man entered in, he motioned the nurse to go outside and she simply nodded and walked away. That man was a middle aged, tall and fair looking rich bastard; he wore a gray suit and a dark blue tie. _I could be called judgmental but trust me I can understand what kind of people exist here._

"How are you?" He spoke gently with a twinge of sternness in his voice. He walked over and then sat beside me. He had really dark brown hair and grayish blue eyes. So, _this_ is the person who chose to pay for my expenses out of all the things he could do.

"Why'd you pay for me?" I asked straight out bluntly not even caring to answer his question or looking at him. _What the hell is his name anyway?! _When I did see his face, he did not look disappointed nor did he look offended. _I don't give a crap, though._

"I'm Andrew Miller." He said quickly as if he knew I was confused about his name. "And I've helped you out of remorse, you know?" He looked away and flew away in his train of thoughts. _Remorse?_ What is that supposed to mean? Did he run that truck over me or am I supposed to know him?

"I haven't been the best person all along and it all hit me nine days ago, two days after my daughter ran away, it was also the same day I found you…" He trailed off looking rather guilty and upset about whatever the hell he may have done. Well, so he probably doesn't have anything to do with me. That's good because I definitely did not want to deal with anyone right now.

"That's all? You only wanted to get the load off your chest and get the title of being a good person? You know helping me is not going to do you any good right?" I asked alongside being annoyed and pissed off. But it didn't really affect me, seeing as it had absolutely nothing to do with me.

"Not really, but I just want you to know that if you ever need any help; financial or whatever, I'm always willing to help." He replied more willingly than ever and ignored the topic of his _so called_ remorse. Doesn't concern me though, I don't need his money or support. All this time I have gone through this shit and I'm still breathing. I've lived for so long without anyone's financial support; I sure as hell can continue that. I've seen more selfish people than you'd think and their manipulative ways disgust my very bones.

The fact that people exploit you the first chance they get has been stuck like a tattoo in my brain. _That_ is the only one thing my prick of a father taught me and when you stay around negative for too long you _expect_ it everywhere. I don't think I need anyone's help or money neither am I interested in making a deal with the devil. _You just never know when someone will turn their back on you! _I know very well how to survive on my own…

_**Chelsea**_

Abusive and manipulative people I've heard, but abusive and manipulative parents? _That's rare. Yeah, my life is rare. _It's been what- eleven or twelve days since I've run from everything but my mind is still there. I know that no matter how far I go, those memories will always be stuck in my brain. _Oh,_ how I would _love_ to suffer from selective amnesia and forget it all. I only want to pour acid in my brain and start a new and fresh life where I at least won't be bothered by anyone.

When I stepped out of the place, I thought I'd be free and light. Well, I am free but I don't feel free. All those memories have pinned me down on nothing and kept me captive like they always did. _And I thought everything would be sunshine and butterflies for me._ It's hard to not look back, yet it's relieving to look back and think_ 'Wow! I'm out of all that and I have a big life ahead of me.'_ But that big life will surely be hampered by something I'd thought would go away.

Being lonely is great, _you know?_ It's better than being stuck with someone for the rest of your life and feeling crappy. I have absolutely no idea about what I'm going to do after this and I know that I can't always stay here for all my life.

I think she's pretty nice but I don't want to be a burden on anyone anymore. Even then, I don't think I have enough guts to go back to the streets after what I've seen in them. But secretly I'm still glad that she took me in because it is really better than being stuck on a cold park bench in an unknown area at night.

_-Flashback-_

"_I'm done. I'm so damn done, and I cannot live with pricks like you because it fucking messes with my head. Now you," I pointed my finger on my mother's face "can do whatever the hell you want to and just do me the favor of staying out of my life. I don't care if you try to stop me, you are already dead to me." I screamed so loudly that my throat was hurting but frankly I didn't care. All I cared about was leaving this crappy place and getting myself a life._

_My 'mom' stared back at me like I was a lunatic. As if I was paranoid and that I would eventually calm down. But she was in such an alcoholic daze that she probably couldn't get a single thing. It's fine because I wasn't screaming at her; I was just trying to lighten my anger before leaving this shit._

_When my parents were angry, they'd smash stuff and hit each other and when one of them was still not satisfied… well, that one would come and hit me. _

_Why shouldn't I?_

_Good thing my dad's not here. He's not even worth to be called 'father' because the nut already gave me and my mother up a month ago. It doesn't affect her because she has always been like this. I'm the one who's affected by their crap. And somehow, that bastard seemed to keep tabs on us secretly._

_Well, all I was trying to do was screaming my throat off to my not-so-awake mom but I only wanted that to get off my chest. With that being said, I stormed in my room and searched for my backpack. The fury that was burning and creating flames in my nerves caught me off guard as I realized I was crying. I didn't want to cry, but I guess it was just the anger that my body couldn't hold back anymore._

_My navy blue backpack was lying in the very corner of my room. There was something about that backpack that I always held very close to me. It was huge and had silver linings for decoration. I couldn't bear to lose it. Picking it up I practically stormed around my room, my clothes were scattered everywhere, but the weird thing was; they were scattered neatly._

_I picked up two shorts and carelessly flung them in the bag mostly because they'd occupy less space. There were two T-shirts that were neatly folded and kept on a chair, I shoved them in too. Lastly, I kept a small wooden box which was studded with the prettiest of purple shaded gems. Inside it were some of my treasured belongings that I never wanted to lose. _

_With all that kept in, my eyes were shot in the direction of my piggy bank which I had kept safe since I was five or something. It was almost funny that I never opened it, and whatever money I ever got I shoved that in too. I picked it up and to my surprise, it was really heavy. I kept that in my backpack and scurried the zip back close. _

_I rushed downstairs to find no one in the living room. None of my concern, right now I just wanted to get away with everything. Not only was it the right thing to but was my only escape. I ran down and then outside not even caring to look behind. It was all done with, nothing left to look behind to except for these two marks on both of my forearms which were due to the…cutting._

_The surprisingly cold weather was not very appealing to me. I looked down at my arms and the slits that I'd made a year ago were still prominent enough for anyone to guess what they were. Maybe they'll go away too because I'm not letting them hold me down. I regret ever cutting them but at that time I had no other release to let my pain out._

_As I broke out of my thoughts, I looked around with wide eyes, everything was so… strange? I had walked in the much busier streets aimlessly. People were walking fast, the lights, the noise and the life in these streets stunned me. Everyone was busy doing their own job, having their own worries and trying hard to keep up with the fast moving world. No one poked around in other people's business, because to them it was just them._

_But for me there was way more than just working and trying to keep up. For me, it was the life in small moments that mattered. I wanted to live and breathe but that was so hard for me back there. It was nothing different here either. Everything was in fast forward, like someone was controlling all of this._

_This is not what I believed in though. I wanted to be my own master, to do things that I loved and to find happiness in them. And now that I was here, I just felt so betrayed and cheated. My parents had kept me away from a lot of things for a way long period of time. They were so wrong; all that pain, the tears, the screaming was so worthless that it almost made me want to cry._

_I learnt my lesson through them though. People aren't bad, the timing is. But when they are genuinely bad, they make the time bad. Makes sense, huh? But what am I even going to do? Stare and make dreams come true in my head? Live in a world that doesn't exist? No. I'm going to live a good life and if possible, I'll also rub it in the face of those idiots._

_But right now, since I have nowhere to go… the park bench is going to be my bed. My back cringed at the thought of sleeping there but hey, everyone goes through bad things and I'm not alone. There's a whole world out there; good, bad and the two-faced. Frankly, I was scared shitless by hypocrites because you never know when they'll be there to stab you like bitches. But I know karate, shouldn't be a problem…_

_**~9 Days Later~**_

"_Son of a bitch." I muttered breathlessly as I ran from the drunk bastard. Living a street life was harder than I'd thought but completely worth it. Everything looked bright from outside but when you experienced it- Man, it was dark as hell._

_The other two were easy because I already knocked them out. But this guy was just shit stubborn. He wouldn't stop running no matter what. I tried to catch a glimpse of what was behind me but he was too far away. Frightened and defenseless was all that I felt at the moment as I stopped dead in my tracks._

_If I have to get away from him, I'll have to fight it because it would come back again. I watched as he ran closer to me, wearing a very sinister smile on his face that sent chills down my spine. _

"_Alright Chelsea, you've got this." I reassured myself and took a sharp breath in. Closer, closer, too close. I got ready as adrenaline rushed through my legs making them feel weak yet ready for whatever was coming. I packed whatever energy I had left in my right leg. As soon as he was close enough I kicked him in the perfect place. Damn it! I watched him go down in pain and curse at me but just as I turned around to run, I felt a grip on my ankle and as I tried to free it away, I was yanked down strongly and my head hit the stone floor._

"_You think you're too smart? I am more." The dangerous man threatened from behind me. He was probably on his feet by then. Everything was so fast that I didn't have enough time to even cry._

_Maybe I shouldn't have stopped. That was a stupid move. I should've known this could be a possibility. So scared, so weak and exposed. Why me? My life was done for, and I knew what was coming. My body shivered and gave up on me. Various thoughts ran through my head seconds before I blacked out because of my fall. Only time will tell…_

**…**

_My awareness came back and my body was alert as soon as everything came back to me. I was too scared to open my eyes and too afraid of what I might find. I didn't have the tiniest clue of what had happened to me after I blacked out. Regret was such a major feeling that I couldn't feel anything besides that._

_But my body felt no pain, nothing was in the right place and it scared the shit out of me. But I couldn't lay and pretend to be a corpse for all my life. I would have to face it. I would have to face the fear and that man again. I was so scared that I could feel tears in my closed eyes. _

_I half-opened my left eye and that let one tear loose. _

'_God please don't let this be true, please let me still be a virgin.'_

_I sat up in an instant even though I never wanted too. _

_ I was completely shocked!_

_I was in the fluffiest of beds and my clothes were right on me. Not torn or tattered, just the plain black T-shirt and shorts I had worn the other day, or so I think I did. I touched my head to find it bandaged neatly, at least that's what I felt. My heart started dancing but then part of me dropped when I realized I was still not sure._

_Maybe god decided to help me. I guess he does want me to live after all. _

_I looked around me and took everything in. The room was actually very pretty; lavender walls and the floors were of a very cool, light maple wood. I didn't mind the early morning light that came in through the open windows. Everything was cool and calm. But where am I in the first place? Just then the door creaked and was slowly pushed open._

_I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. I saw a woman enter and smile happily. She looked maybe thirty five or something. That was just a rough estimate seeing as I was excellent at guessing people's age. Her height was maybe around five foot four and she had a very pretty heart-shaped face. I noticed she had bruises on her face and hands along with a bandage. They looked very recent._

"_Hey." She started probably not even knowing what else to say to me. "Are you feeling okay?" She came by the bed and kept standing. Now that she mentioned it, my head did hurt a bit. But the pain was over shadowed by my relief. _

"_I'm fine." I smiled, not even bothering to ask her anything else. "Thank you for saving me." It was almost slipped out of my gratitude for her, but no matter how much I thanked her, it would never be enough._

"_It wasn't a choice. I couldn't let your life get ruined when I held the power to make it right. Anyone would've done the same." She said with so much compassion that it was astonishing. I had never felt so much love by anyone in my life before. And no, not everyone would do the same. Not everyone is so nice. _

"_I can never thank you enough..." I didn't even know her name but whatever I said was true, I could really never thank her to that extent. "How did you get me out of that though?" Even though I didn't want to talk about it, my curiosity did._

_She gave a small and nervous laugh. "I called the police and then distracted him." Distracted? I guess that explained the bruises. "I'm Claudia, and you are?"_

"_Chelsea. And by the way, is that how you got the bruises?" I replied feeling rather guilty if it were the way I thought it was._

"_Yes but I didn't plan on telling you, guess they're pretty evident huh." She chuckled and it kind of helped me feel better. For some reason she seemed like a very great person and it was like I could depend on her. But I had to go again, back to the damn streets. "And Chelsea, just so you know, you are welcome to stay here for as long as you like. I assume you must be scared after what happened." Claudia assured me as if she was reading my mind. _

"_Er, thank you so much." I said, completely out of anything else to say. _

"_You should rest and I have some work downstairs. If you need anything at all, just ask, alright?" Claudia said._

_I simply nodded and she walked out._ _Her strawberry blonde hair was slightly curly at the end and sort of bouncy as she walked away. _

_That was so… unexpected. I'd never imagined someone like that could ever exist. There is hope for me after all. Yet, my mind has become so tired of it all that I thought it would be best to give it some time._

_-Flashback End-_

I've not been able to think properly ever since I ran away from… _home_ that day. I don't think that place even deserves to be called home. But part of me was worried about my parents even though they treated me like crap.

Right now I was irritated by myself. Correction; my _bipolar_ self. Because one minute I'm dancing in the skies and the other I'm burning with anger. I think it's going to take some time for me to become _stable _again because I've gone through various shit and trust me, it's not easy.

_Mom?_ I bet right now she's drunk and not even bothered by my whereabouts. It used to hurt knowing that my own mom didn't give a shit about me but it didn't anymore. _Heck! _She even yelled at me saying that she hated me and that I was a mistake.

And as for my dad, he was more stable than mom was but that did not make him any better. All he had over mom was sense which she didn't. Hence the reason why he dropped her out.

Money changes people, it really does. It's just a plain pity that we were unhappy from the beginning but at least my parents didn't absolutely loathe me and hit me so much, _so damn much!_ And then my dad got lucky and became a damn greedy bastard. No one knows what is going on in his head, he's that unpredictable.

Fourteen years of my life I have grown up seeing all of this. But there is that one point when you just can't take it anymore, when you can't suffer being neglected and abused so much at all. I thought it was better to run away rather than waste my life there with those two dark and doomed people. And it was not a bad idea at all.

But it really did suck to have parents like that and whenever I saw my friends complain about their parents considering slight problems and misunderstandings, I would get so angry and upset at the time that I would walk away.

My parents had me when they were still in high school, but it was their fault, not mine. Their lack of knowledge and common sense that I'm here staring at my feet and literally going crazy inside my head. But even if they did, wasn't I supposed to be their responsibility? Couldn't they raise me up like anyone else would?

But I guess I'm probably a mistake as to how they see me, but I am _never _going to let that get me anymore. I lived a dark nightmare all this time thinking that _I _was the one who messed things up. But that is not going to be the case anymore because now I know that it was those two who weren't good enough.

"Chelsea dear, dinner is ready." I heard Claudia's warm voice call my name out from downstairs. I don't even remember the last time I heard the tiniest bit of warmth in a voice. I smiled as I thought that maybe this could be it. Maybe this is where I was supposed to be and maybe I could be happy.

I got up from the very comfortable bed and took a good look at the room. I wondered how she lived alone all this time in such a nice house. I walked out the room and then down the stairs, I saw her give me a small, warm smile as she saw me and I returned it by giving her my best one.

We ate dinner in silence and I had to say that the food was so damn good that I never wanted to stop eating but I guess you find everything to taste awesome when you're hungry like crap. I didn't even realize my hunger until I smelled food. I looked up at the Claudia and wondered what her past was.

_Should I even live here? _I thought to myself, worrying that maybe I was a burden, but had she not already cleared that up? Yes she had, but I'm not supposed to be so selfish, take whatever is coming my way like an idiot an-

"What is it?" Claudia's warm voice spoke up and interrupted my thoughts.

"Nothing, I was thinking about not staying here anymore." I accidently said everything in a rush and it all came out wrong. I looked at her and saw her face drop in sadness. I almost felt bad, really bad. "I-I just don't want to burden you up, you know what mean?" I blurted out as fast as I could before she could have misunderstandings about what I had just said.

"You could never be a burden on me and to say the truth I was actually going to ask you to stay." Claudia told me. _But why would she want that? _"I've been very lonely, you know?" She sighed in what I thought was misery and despair.

"Why so?" Suddenly I was interested in hearing her out.

"When I was married I found out I couldn't have children, it hurt a lot. But I figured since I had him by my side it would be okay. But after a year I found out my husband had been cheating on me. Soon after he left me for someone else and here I am now." She took a deep breath and smiled weakly. _Man, this woman is really strong to have gone through so much._ "And it's not you that will burden me in fact you make me really happy." She stated and I felt really strange knowing that _I_ could make someone happy for once.

"Say Chelsea, will you stay here?" She asked hopefully and her general smile was missing.

Maybe I _could _take this risk and see how things would turn out for once. Anyways, I have nowhere else to go and besides that Claudia's an amazing person.

"I'll stay." I beamed at her a little too confidently and she smiled that warm smile which would make me feel so bright. Maybe I could trust life for once and see what would happen. Sometimes going with the flow is the best thing you can do for a change and an escape. _Who knows?_ Maybe one year from now I'll be a happy person with _natural_ problems, and a normal life. Maybe this could be the best thing that may have ever happened to me. _Just maybe…_

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**Well, so this was actually my first attempt at writing anything and I hope you liked it :")**

**And I bet, most of you might be thinking this is AU, which it definitely is not. Trust me, this is like-more of an introductory chapter and I wrote this since both; Vaughn and Chelsea have a pretty lengthy past so I thought that I might as well turn that into a chapter. But more things from their pasts' are yet to come ;")**

**BTW I would **_**really**_** like to hear any kind of reviews, suggestions or criticism that you guys have for this :") **

**The next update may take some time because I have a lot of tests and my time on the laptop is limited but stay tuned...**


	2. Treading the Storm

_**Hello, update here :")  
This one here is pretty short because I take way too long to write long, lengthy chapters, so you know- quicker updates for someone out there who likes this…**_

_**Have Fun**_

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_**Treading the Storm**_

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"_It is when you let yourself go you realize how utterly worthless all that misery you went through really was."_

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_**~4 Years Later~**_

_**Vaughn **_

_Damn it, what in the hell's name is buzzing so much?_ Oh right, that's the alarm that _has_ to wake me up at six in the morning. I wasn't the one to slack off work but hey- sleeping for four hours is not enough for me anyway. I wanted to sleep stubbornly but my inner self pushed me out of bed.

Sitting up quickly I felt a strong rush of dizziness and I was almost about to fall back before I composed myself. My right arm was frozen in place, maybe I'd slept on it again. Never mind, I got work to do rather than sitting here.

I walked over to the bathroom and splashed my face with water not even realizing it was ice cold before it touched me. A slight hiss escaped my lips even though it was too late to undo the damn ice from my face. I splashed it on my face yet again because it wouldn't have an effect anymore. I was used to this daily routine, and I realized that I only had to get past the sleepy point before I'd be okay.

While brushing my teeth, it suddenly struck me that it was _Sunday_. _Fuck it, now I'm already up and there's no point in going back to sleep_. Maybe, there'll be some work for me. I was about to wear my usual attire but then again today I was probably going to roam around in my apartment so no point in wearing the Stetson.

It hadn't struck me before but now I saw that it was new year's eve last night hence the reason why there was so much noise. _Those idiots!_ They don't sleep and don't let you sleep either. Truthfully, I didn't get the whole point in celebrating all night long like an idiot, it was only another damned year for crying out loud. But someone will have to explain this to those nuts though. And that's not me. I'd rather mind my own business than even try to say something to those thick headed jerks.

Suddenly my phone started ringing from the bedroom. I went back and saw who was calling. It was my boss. _What does she want from me now?_ I was reminded that I didn't have any work so it was better to let some get in my way. The phone continued ringing and turning around in a circle on the table. I picked it up and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Vaughn."

"Yeah. Is there some work?"

"Actually, yes. I want you to drop by the office today if you can. There have been a few changes in your schedule that I wanted to explain to you."

"When should I come?"

"If you can come now then excellent, but if it's some other time then let me know."

"I'll be there."

"Alright then."

With a click from the other side the call was ended. _Okay, so isn't it supposed to be the first damned day of the year today? _I don't mind it anyways, it's only work. The only thing I minded was my boss, she was too sweet to be a boss. Aren't the heads supposed to be rude, strict and all that. I of all people had to have such a boss. But hell, she was manipulative enough to get her work done in time, that's why she called me. I sighed and walked out of the door without another second to waste.

My car keys were in my pocket so there was no need to go back the room anyways, but I had a feeling that I was forgetting something. Yet I shrugged it off as soon as it came. As soon as I was down the stairs and around the parking lot I pressed the key only to find out that my car was way inside the place.

I got around it and opened the door. The insides were jet black and too damn neat. I went in and while starting it up I realized I'd forgot my Stetson. _Shit, shit, shit! _That is the fucking thing I was forgetting and I didn't even get it. It would take a hell lot of time to walk back up seven floors and then come down again. _When are they ever going to fix the elevator damn it? _

I started the car up and with a slight roar it was on. That is what I liked about this; it was really smooth and picked up speed really well. It moved forward smoothly and I drove it out of the parking lot. The weather was slightly dewy today. For some reason, I loved the rain a lot unlike most of the ungrateful people around here. It made me feel better and almost peaceful.

The roads were like the usual and luckily it took me only about half an hour to reach the office. I pulled my car up in the parking area and got out.

The snow was already long gone but it was evident that it used to be there. I walked in through the tall glass doors and then went up to the desk where nobody sat. _Great!_ _Now what!? There's no one here and there's a change in the schedule. Awesome!_

I took the elevator to the third floor and walked out to see nothing at all. If it weren't for the security, I couldn't even get inside. I knocked on the slightly open door that said- 'Kara Humming' and saw that she _was_ there. _Good, because I was in no mind for being deceived in my face_. Well, I never ever am, but that always happens to me.

"Hello, Vaughn, take a seat." My boss said without looking up from the stack of papers from her very messy desk. That was weird because she was always very neat in her work. At least the few times I had been here she was. Well, not my business unless I have to arrange them. She looked up and said, "So, I just received a call saying that there is this place, Sunshine Islands where an animal dealer is required. It's still new so there aren't a lot of people there. I decided you should go there because it starts the next week and it's not too far from Mineral town either."

"_Not too far?_" I asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow and doubting her words because she tended to make stupid things sound appealing.

"Come on Vaughn. Do I look like I'd ask you to do something that's not good?" She clarified rhetorically and went on, "Okay, it's going to take you four hours from Mineral town to the islands and you'll have a place to stay so it's not bad. As much as I suggest you to take it, it's your choice but make it fast." She said and went back to arranging her papers.

I thought about it and I decided that since I was the only person who'd travel that far and there was no one else who'd take it maybe I could accept it. Besides it won't be too bad having lesser people around to bug me. "I'll go there." I confirmed without any second thoughts.

"Great." She said sounding relieved and pushed a paper in front of me. I don't know why but I _always_ I hated this signing part yet I would go through every single word in the page. I sighed inaudibly and held the paper to read it. _At least I'll be fixed in two places and not have to go to some random place because of others' lack of responsibility. Can't be too bad, right? _

_**Chelsea**_

I needed to do something with my life and that did not include me going to college and wasting my time. There was no point in getting college education unless I wanted to learn more. And I was sure that I was smart enough but there weren't enough options to choose from in this place. I wanted to do something that would not be amongst the hassle of this city. The bustle and the noise pissed me off.

Something else that I had in mind was leaving the city, but that had its own risks so it was still being processed in my head. I mean, I'm always the one to risk, right? But something that people brushed aside was that I always risked with known consequences. That was something I thought was very smart. Besides, I had no money on me except if I'd scrape my piggybank and finally open it or search my huge bag in hopes of stripping down some gold from it.

At times like this I missed her but Claudia had only that much life to live and I had long learned to get over the fact that she had to go. It was because of her I had such a stable life in the past few years and that I had enough sense to not get myself in anymore trouble.

I sat on a bench and started searching my bag for whatever money I might've thrown in at some point or the other. I was lucky to have just enough money to get a ferry without having to break my piggy bank. I was sort of obsessed with that thing and you could call me crazy but I wasn't breaking it unless my life depended on it.

I got up and walked over to the ship that was already docked and was about to set sail in twenty minutes. I had been roaming around here for a long time now in hopes of having a settled decision. And now I had it, and even though it did not make a whole lot of sense, I was happy with taking a ship to nowhere and settling there. It was like a gut feeling and I was more than pleased with it.

The guy that I was supposed to buy tickets from was too sleepy to talk to. He just looked really tired and I felt pity. But I wanted the ticket so I lightly tapped his shoulder and he woke up in an instance. I always found such situations funny for some reason.

"I need a ticket." I said and held back my laughter.

"I'm so sorry, I must've dozed off. Well, you have to fill this form first." He handed me a paper and a pen. I placed the thin sheet on my palm and uncomfortably filled in the information, trying hard not to tear the paper. It was general information like name, age and all that.

"Here, what's the fee?" I handed him the paper and asked him about the cost.

"It's four hundred G and I hope you've also read the paper. And if not then I'll tell you that this ship is going to Pierceton." He clarified. There was something written on that tissue paper, well I mustn't have noticed. _Who cares?_ I handed him the money and he gave me the ticket in return. _Pierceton huh? _I've heard the name before and in a good way.

_None of my business though._

As I walked further, there was yet another man sitting at a small desk. "Miss, I need to see your ticket." He demanded in a stern voice. _Sheesh, what was all this fuss about? _Nonetheless, I flashed him the ticket and went on.

I just walked on and then into the ship where I was supposed to take a cabin but it would feel a little too claustrophobic there. I absent mindedly strolled around the deck of the ship and then a loud horn shouted, "WE ARE ABOUT TO SET SAIL IN FIVE MINUTES." The loud voice deafened my ears and I cussed under my breath. I looked around the place; the deck was cluttered with lifeboats and some other stuff. Nothing too interesting to die for here.

I went in and opened the door of an empty cabin. The inside was warmer than the outside and definitely more appealing to stay at. Anyways there was no view to die for outside so maybe I could stay in. Even though it was all closed, the cabin had a tiny circular window like that of a submarine. It isn't like this ship is going to take us underwater, then why the stupid window? Even if it will, the situation will be equivalent to drowning which doesn't seem like a possibility. Look at me; arguing over windows, proves just how boring my life is.

I jumped down on the bed and it was like a damned stone. Well, not stone, but not soft enough to make me stay burrowed in there. There was sleep waiting to edge me and I realized that I hadn't slept for a whole day now. I just made myself comfortable and got cozy before shutting my eyes. I didn't know I was so sleepy until now. Sleep was hovering over me and then after a few minutes it finally swept me along. I went, trying to get rid of the weariness and in hopes of waking up as a fresh person.

**…**

_The whole place was shaking frantically and tossing from one end to another. The vessel was shivering so badly that it could crack anytime now. I held on to the bed sheet to keep myself from falling. _Just another dream. I thought to myself in the half awake and half asleep state.

Then all of a sudden I fell down and hit the other side of the cabin. _Huh?_ "Ow…" I rubbed my head to ease the pain and stood alert when it hit me that this wasn't no dream. I had _actually_ fell because this place was shaking like there had been a damn earthquake except that we were not on the land. I was literally rolling along the floor when all of this had been happening. My brain always took time to register things while drowsy and this was a terrible example.

I held on to nothing on the floor and tried to crawl my way to the door. Various thoughts were running through my mind. _Storm? Earthquake? What the hell is raging so much?!_ I could hear the furious lightening and thunders. Every one of them made me jump and roll further back into the cabin. It became a constant battle to reach the door and then go back to the starting point.

I was hoping for the best. Hoping that it was just a light storm and would go away. But man, this was nowhere near _light_, it was freaking tough and whatever the hell it was; it would end badly. And such dread I had not felt in a very long time. Such fright that made me want to hurl into myself and cry but doing that would limit the little chances I had even left. With great attempts, I was finally able to reach close enough to the door and hold on to the knob. I turned the knob around and stood on my feet staggeringly.

As soon as the door was open it flung behind and because my hands were clutched tightly onto the knob, my head chucked behind and hit something hard. It was my own huge backpack.

"_Argh!_" I wailed in anger as I had become highly frustrated. More than that I was scared. I didn't even acknowledge the tears that were going down my face. "Is somebody around?" I shouted hoping that someone would hear me. Anyone would do. I just wanted to get out of here and die peacefully; _not here!_

I took the backpack and wore it in front of me so that it would minimize some injury for an instance.

Successfully I stumbled out of the room and then tried walking down the hallway to the deck. All of that time I was a thousand and one percent sure that I would get out with a brain hemorrhage. But strangely enough, I was out alive. My head hurt in severe places but what I saw had my mouth hanging.

It was a goddamn storm and I was stuck. _I was freaking stuck! _The wooden floor of the deck was completely wretched and it wasn't long before this ship would go down.

First thing, I panicked and then I frantically ran around the deck searching for life boats or whatever the hell could save me right now. The rain stung me like bullets and it wasn't going to be too long before I'd be charred by the lightening. I thought of taking someone's help but this place was fucking isolated. _Assholes;_ couldn't they have at least told me about this and then go to steal away _all_ of the boats.

Then I heard a huge crack from the inside of the ship. _The ship was bloody sinking straight!_ It went down fast. At least fast enough to freak the life out of me. I searched the deck and ran around it like a paranoid person.

"_SOMEBODY HELP!_" Iyelled and started crying. Like I already wasn't, but this time I felt the real fright. My heart was pounding hard in my chest and it wouldn't be too long before it would jump right through it. The ship was tossing and hustling so hard that I was thrown around like a piece of paper. I had no power in front of these crazy, psycho and goddamned waves.

"ANYONE HERE? PLEASE HELP ME." I wailed and scratched in my head in despair. I was going to go crazy if no one would show up. And just to bite me, no one did.

I needed to do something. _Anything!_ But I always said that, and it wasn't something that would work now. _What on bloody earth am I supposed to do in the middle of nowhere!_ I always thought that all of this was a piece of cake, which I wouldn't live to experience this but now I was going to get over with it. The panic, fright, and all the feelings were too overwhelming to bear. _I would get over with my own life now!_

Nothing was going to save me now, this ship was going down like the titanic. _Just a little too fast!_

_So this was it? Was I only supposed to live for eighteen years? Only that much life for me?_

"WHY ME? LET ME LIVE!" I screamed and begged to no one in particular and clutched onto my backpack which was in front of me tightly. One thing was particular to me; I wasn't scared of dying, I was scared of the pain and hurt I would be suffering in five minutes. In only one hour my very existence will probably be vanished from the face of earth and you know what? _I don't care. Whoever the hell is messing with me should know that I've seen worse_. I don't see any light right now so getting out of this alive would be senseless. _Like that was even a possibility._

I had been trying too hard to live against everything that wasn't in my favor. There was too much of an urge I had developed for living in the past few years, not even realizing that I would die someday and be graved. And I hadn't exactly thought that _someday_ would be today. I would not even be lucky enough to get a gra-

"AAH!" I roared crazily as the ship cracked into two and led me my way to the sea. I tried to hold on to the railings but this stupid thing was going down vertically. It was just that sudden instinct everyone had of saving their lives and here I was hanging in midair with no help whatsoever. I was successful with keeping the panic and anxiety at bay but now _I_ was the one going into the sea. _This is it_, nothing more to live for anymore.

I let myself go and fell straight down in the ocean. My instant shock was numbness. I let out useless air out of my mouth and shook my head frantically. I stared around me in wonder; debris, debris and _debris._ The icy blue ocean looked dark due to the storm and I now realized that I was going down in spirals.

_So much for living a life._

_I'd had way too much faith in everything around me. Well, that's not worth a shit right now because I'm already down and dead. Well, I'll be dead in a few seconds now and yet I'm having this crazy battle in my head. I tried to keep up with everything but that did not give me one crap. That's okay, I tried. At least._

Somewhere even in the water, the tears escaped my eyes and added salt to the sea. The water had been stinging my numb eyes for quite some time now. I shut them close to prevent the further torture.

_If I die now, which I will, maybe I'll get to meet Claudia. She'll be rather disappointed to have me with her so soon but it's too late to grasp on anything now. Goodbye mean world._

And I let myself go…

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_**That's it. Hope you liked it. Um, and just so you know; reviews inspire a lot ;")  
Tell me what you think about this chapter and stay tuned for the next one…**_


	3. The Fresh Air

_**Hiya, I'm still there. All the main tests in school are done. And I've finished this chapter here. It's more like a filler but still better than nothing right? Well, here you go…**_

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_**The Fresh Air**_

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"_Looking back sometimes, you cannot help but be grateful for the present…"_

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_**Chelsea**_

_Several flashbacks in my head, too many thoughts and all too confusing assumptions. _

My head would work for some time and then my path would be lost again. I tried holding on to my consciousness but it was way too slippery to stay. Nothing made enough sense to be approved as the truth because there were way too many probabilities.

For a second I would feel and then it would be diminished. I was messed up in my own head trying to put two and two together. But somehow I couldn't place anything right at all. Tiny pieces of memories were scattered everywhere. All I had to do was pick them up and join the puzzle, but my hands were lost.

It was frustrating that I couldn't even remember a single thing. I knew, but I couldn't quite recollect them. It was like I had been in this state for such a long time that I could be mistaken for a dead person if I already weren't. Suddenly, the word '_dead'_ rang a few bells in my head.

Last time I was _fully _awake, I was going to be dead. I remembered being surrounded by the debris and the blur. It was like seeing in…_water!_ I got it then. I started remembering stuff- piece by piece, but at least I did. This meant that I could possibly be dead. But it still didn't make a difference on my part. I only wanted to get over with this confusing phase since I was able to grab on a few details.

I remembered going in the water, the ferocious lightning and the storm. I recollected the sense of death hovering over me that time. Things were starting to make a wee bit of sense and it was enough for me at the moment. That was so much for the recalling session before my awareness slipped away again.

**_…_**

"Hey girl, do you hear me? Hey?" I heard a rough, young voice call out, probably to me unless I was in a room full of unconscious bodies. It seemed as though she had been calling out to me since a long time because there were vibrations of her rough voice in my ears.

The sound sent pain through my head which was full of water. I felt a bit puffy. Every limb of mine was feeling like an empty hose. Yet they were aching and throbbing on the inside. There was the head splitting migraine that was running through my head and screaming something pathetic. I felt nauseous but my stomach was like a black, empty pit. I didn't even have shit to puke up.

My body was tired and I felt dirty. I felt groggy from inside and god knows what kind of pathetic mess I might be from the outside. Weariness weighed me down and kept me from saying anything. I had never felt so heavy before in my life. Heavy particularly inside my chest; _lungs _maybe. _The water_. Chills ran down my paralyzed spine when I thought of that dreaded storm.

Someone shook me by the shoulders, probably sensing my awareness by now. That shake was like an enabler to my body. I started coughing; _badly._ I was coughing so much that my insides were on the edge of spilling out. Someone rubbed my back and I felt better. After I stopped, I opened my exhausted eyes to find myself surrounded by a bunch of people; all of them observing me like I was an alien. I quickly felt claustrophobic due to the lack of space.

The older women, probably in her early forties, might have sensed it because she moved behind.

I looked at the three of them in amazement; all of them had _pink _hair! The girl looked the odd man out with her stern face since the other two had soft faces. The boy looked a bit shy though. _Exact opposites,_ I thought. I was comfortably sitting on a very soft couch. _Must've sat while coughing all that much._

"Are you alright, dear?" The older women asked with concern in her soft yet high-pitched tone and literally _closed _eyes. She placed the back of her hand on my forehead to check on me. I nodded and wore a confused look on my face, hoping she'd answer.

"Oh, I am Felicia and these are my children-" She placed her arms around both the others' shoulders. "Natalie and Elliot." She said and smiled._ Wow! This women must really have superpowers, maybe she saved me._ I chuckled inwardly and decided to finally break my voice.

"I'm Chelsea." I introduced my name only so it would be fair. "Thank you, but how am I er- _alive_? I asked disbelievingly in a hoarse voice. I cleared my throat to at least not sound like a jerk. I did not want to appear as one in front of these people.

"You were washed up on this empty island a day after the storm. We were here safely because of the lifeboats, but it seemed like you were caught up in it, Chelsea." She explained and then went on, "But luckily enough you were still breathing. I'm glad you're fine, because three weeks _is_ a long time." She expressed and smiled happily. _Empty? Of course, they wouldn't want to come on a bloody barren island and then have to dispose off a body._ But that was still extremely kind of them to take care of me like that. I would do the same. But _three damn weeks?!_ Well, it's not too weird when I recall what bought me here in the first place.

"Empty?" I asked looking around the comfortable setting of the house. Didn't look like it would've been empty. It just had a really warm feeling to it.

"Yes, there's a bunch of people here now but believe me it was isolated when we came here. Gramps had this aim to find an empty place. Well he did, and it's not as bad as I thought it would be." Natalie budged in this time, probably bored of standing there. She wasn't too bad, just that little sarcastic tone to her voice made her sound rude. But she wasn't.

"That's nice, anyways whose house is this?" I asked and moved my toes to make sure they weren't frozen.

"It's ours." Elliot spoke in a timid voice. _Poor boy, earning all those glares from his sister. _I chuckled, not too loud though. I didn't notice when Felicia walked away because she wasn't there.

"Chelsea, I have to go. Nice meeting you though." Natalie spoke hurriedly and walked out of the room.

"Hey do you like farming?" Elliot took the strange topic out of nowhere. _Farming? _This is the actual first time I'm even thinking of _farms._ Do I like it? Maybe, I don't even know what it's like to farm.

"Maybe, never thought of it before. Why?" I asked and his face became dull.

"Er, there is a farm on this island and gramps used to farm back then. But now he's too old and he makes us do the farming. It's pretty hard. I thought you might like it…" He trailed off and sighed. So this guy just kind of offered me a job that sounds great. Just then the door flung open and an old man entered, a smile graced his worn out lips when he saw me.

"This is great. You finally woke up. Really great." He laughed and walked over to the couch. I assumed he was their grandfather. "I'm Taro and you are?" He asked.

"Chelsea." I said and saw Elliot go out, waving me goodbye before. I smiled at him and turned to Taro.

"Glad to see you're up. It's about time. We were really worried." He said and scratched his chin, as if he was thinking something.

"Thanks for taking care of me." I mentioned, "And Elliot was saying something about farming though." I bought up the topic, wanting to know more and also not wanting to create a silence between the old man and me.

"Ah, I was thinkin' the same. Would you take it? I mean Elliot and Natalie are lazier than you'd think. Besides, you'll get the house and the land, for free of course. Besides, the shipping of the crops will be done by us." He explained hopefully, not wanting to let that land go waste at any cost. _Would I take it? For free? _In a heartbeat I would. My broken ass would accept poison for free right now. A house and a bloody farmland don't even have to be questioned.

"You're sure, right? I mean, sure I'd take it but I don't know the first letter of farming." I beamed at him. My insides jumping with excitement and happiness. If I get this then I wouldn't have to look back at the crappy city again.

"That is not even a problem. I'll teach you, good enough now?" He asked hopefully, and I nodded. _This is brilliant! God I'm so happy that my hands are going numb. _I couldn't believe it, I could live peacefully somewhere. A wide smile spread on my face, so wide that my cheeks were hurting. I went through the last minute again; I was offered a free farm _and_ a house, and this is officially the best day of my life. Although, my best days keep changing, I'm glad Taro offered me this job.

"I want to see the place." I said eagerly and literally jumped out of the couch. My legs lost their power and I starting losing my grip on the floor. Luckily for me, Taro caught my shoulder before I could fall face down on the floor, break my head and lie unconscious for another month.

"You just woke up, be a little more careful." He said sternly with concern in his voice. I collected myself before I could fall again. "Oh and Chelsea, you had something with you when we found you. I'll get it." He informed and went inside. After less than a minute he returned, with my navy blue backpack in his hands. I had almost forgotten about it. _Good lord, it's still there. It must have some survival properties in it._ There were rather important things in it.

With that, Taro led me out of the house and then down the cobblestone streets.

I looked around the place- with awe- and inhaled deeply. My lungs could actually _feel _the difference in the air. It was the perfect combination of flowers, soil and the salty sea-water. The lovely scent was better than any perfume you could ever find. The fresh, crispy sunlight that lit the whole island up was simply too graceful.

Just not too far away, you could hear the waves splashing against the shore. The birds were chirping sweetly. Everything was so _un_polluted unlike the city. All you could smell there was smoke and dirt. And even in the most isolated of place you could hear vehicle horns. But it wasn't that case here. In fact, it was the exact opposite and I loved it.

"Love the environment, don't you?" Taro interrupted my observation and turned to look at me.

"It's just so clean." My underrated words made me rethink what I had just said. "It's too beautiful." I sort of _re_said it and Taro came to a halt. _This must be the place. _I thought and looked around. It was simply too nice to go unobserved. No wonder Taro wanted so desperately to make use of it.

"What do you say huh?" Taro said, and I was rendered speechless yet again. If I knew I'd end up here after the shipwreck, I would drown myself purposefully. Well not really, but come on just _look _at this place. It was a huge land and just a little to the right there was a house. It looked really pretty because I wasn't too much into modern houses and stuff, so this was the perfect thing.

"It's perfect. And it's mine too." I said with pride tinging my tone. But it faded away when I thought that I didn't even know a single thing. Besides, a barren piece of land wasn't something to be very proud about.

"R'you in good shape to practice or would you rather take the day off?" Taro asked, looking entirely at the farm.

"I'm good. I've never felt better." I spoke hurriedly, really keen to know how this really worked.

"Well then, good for you." Taro said and I went towards_ my _farmland to practice getting used to my new life.

**_…_**

That was more tiresome work than I had thought. I was so occupied earlier that any thought of checking my new house out were gone from my mind. I opened the door to the house and went in. It had a cottage like touch to it and I was very pleased.

It was rather unbelievable where my life was now. It was too good to be true. I mean, I had a house to live in at a peaceful site. _What more could I have desired?_ The house was big enough as I was just starting out. There was a cute little kitchen with all appliances present in it. And to its right was the restroom. I went in the room which was at the end, and made myself comfortable.

Luckily, my huge backpack was still on me when I was washed up. And to more surprise, it was waterproof enough to keep my stuff safe. I opened the zip and spread all the things on the bed. Then gradually I started putting them in the right places, and my clothes in the oversized wardrobe which was in the bedroom. Good thing I had enough clothes with me right now or else it would be a complete mess.

I took a look at the calendar, it was the 24th today as Taro had said. _Shit, I had slept through my own birthday on Spring the 20th. _Well, not exactly slept but whatever, it doesn't matter. There's always a next year. I looked around my house once more.

Everything was arranged in the house so my work was complete. Except… Taro had said something about eating well and my stomach was growling. There was no way I could sleep with an empty stomach and besides it was only almost seven. Chen said I could drop by anytime I wanted. Only the problem was that I didn't know where to drop by.

I put my sweaty bandana away and straightened myself up. After walking out the property, I saw a bunch of houses. Some still under construction while some were already up. I walked to my left and randomly knocked on the second house. After a few seconds the door opened. A girl, probably my age- stood there. She had blonde hair pulled up in a high pony with wavy bangs on the either sides of her face. Her shorts were super mini which bared her legs. And her top- well, it should've covered a bit more.

But it was none of my business. Her choice.

"You must be Chelsea, right?" Her voice piped in the silent night. It was rather girly but really mature. _Doesn't seem bad…_

"Well, yeah. And you are?" I asked.

"I'm Julia. Come on in, I'll introduce you to my mum." She took my arm and pulled me in. This island really is full of friendly people.

I was pulled inside the house and it looked like a shop because of the counter and all that stuff. But nonetheless, it was _still _a house. A plump, middle-aged woman, came out from the door and gave me a warm smile.

"Mum, this is Chelsea. Chelsea, this is my mum." Julia introduced whilst moving her hands along with it.

"Hello dear, I'm Mirabelle. We run the animal shop." She said, her voice resembled Julia's, just a bit older.

"It's nice to meet you." I smiled, forgetting whatever work I had come in here for. "Would you know where exactly Chen's shop is? I wanted to buy some groceries." I asked the instant I remembered.

"Chen had just left in the evening. Had some work in the city." She explained. "Besides dear, you can have food here." Mirabelle offered. As tempting as it sounded, I thought it might be a bit selfish.

"Come on Chelsea, we were about to eat anyway." Julia took me in the other room without hearing my answer. It had the kitchen and the dining table was just in front of it. There was yet another partition, I could see two beds inside through the open door. It seemed pretty convenient to have the dining table near the kitchen.

"Farming must be hard. Isn't it tiring?" Julia questioned, sitting on the chair while I sat on one myself.

"It is, but it's better than anything in the city." I sighed, getting a nod from the blonde in front of me.

"Alright, the food is done." Mirabelle announced while setting the plates in front of us.

"Just wait till you eat my mum's food, its lovely. One reason why I never learned how to cook myself." Julia giggled and clapped her hands like a little child. I chuckled, this girl could totally be my friend.

"There, there Julia, you didn't learn because you never tried." Mirabelle clarified, Julia just fake-pouted. She is just like a brat, but not bad. In fact, I kind of like her for her cheery attitude. Plus, she could help me with the animals.

"So, since you own the animal shop, do you have any animals at present?" I asked, simply because I loved being around them for some reason.

"No, actually we'll have the animal dealer here tomorrow. You can come then. Julia'd probably love some company." Mirabelle sat on one of the chairs herself.

Well then, I'll have to come visit this place sometime tomorrow. I would need to waste my time too, since I seeded a lot of turnips today itself. Because of what I've heard, spring would be over and if I wanted to harvest turnips, I'd have to complete the seeding of the turnips today. I had exactly six days. Tomorrow, there's only watering left, and some clearing up to do as well. Nothing too hard.

"If you need help, you can always ask me. I'm bored the whole day." Julia said between mouthfuls of food.

"Of course." I agreed and happily gobbled down the delicious food.

_I could obviously use a friend. This island had loads of stuff stored for me. Makes me curious._

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_**What'd you think? No Vaughn here, but he's there in the next one. A huge thank-you to** _**LolzMaster101, Karisma Jestler, laylay _and_ guest reviewer** _**for reviewing :") Stay tuned for the next one, hopefully I'll have it up soon...**_


	4. Coincidental Fate

_**Like I promised, I'd update soon. One more thing guys, **__**Vaughn**** Swears!**____**I don't know, I feel that it gives him a more rude feature. Ah well, here you go :") **_

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_**Coincidental**__** Fate**_

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"_Sometimes things just happen, things that we don't have power over and things that we have no right to question..."_

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_**Vaughn **_

It was only ten minutes before I would be in _Sunshine Islands. _Inwardly, I cringed at the name. It was seriously wretched to name it like that. The person who did was probably fucked up. Not I care, just that I have to waste two days in _Sunshine Islands._ The only animals I had with me right now were chickens. Cows and sheep were bought only on order. Good thing because I wasn't not sure that that messed-up, so-called _farmer _could even handle the cattle.

"WE ARE ABOUT TO REACH SUNSHINE ISLANDS IN FIVE MINUTES. PASSENGERS ARE KINDLY REQUESTED TO GET READY." The booming sound of the speaker announced, it was rather muffled due to the closed door of the cabin. _Passengers?_ I bet it's only me for this island. Who else would come when you have everything in the city? No one likes to roll in the dirt and farm. Well, mentality varies. You could be surprised what kind of people one could come across.

I sighed and got up. Making my way towards the deck, I spotted the guy who had kept the chickens elsewhere.

"Good morning, I have your chickens kept safely, sir. I'll get them right away." Said the man and walked inside to fetch them. I don't see the problem with keeping them in the cabins. The chickens were locked up in a huge bird-cage, they couldn't make anything dirty. Well, you got to abide by the rules. If not, who knows if one of them would kick you out in the middle of the sea.

The man returned with one big bird-cage. They were apparently making less noise because most of them were asleep. I took the cage from him and muttered lowly, "Thanks."

The ship had reached the island. "WE HAVE REACHED SUNSHINE ISLANDS." The ridiculously loud voice wasn't muffled anymore, it just numbed my ears. I strode down the ship and then the short bridge-like connector to step on the sand. Frankly speaking, it was a very pleasant atmosphere around here, the air felt pretty clean comparatively. Maybe the two days here didn't have to be so bad unless there was an annoying person similar to Claire. _How that woman irritated me some times. _Only god knows what made Gray love her. That's his choice though, at least he's happy.

I held the slightly heavy cage up and made my way out of the beach. This place really did look a bit abandoned. What with the few broken house-like structures, but the rest of it was very well built. _Where was I supposed to find the animal shop again?_ I ventured stupidly around and crossed a bridge. Then I spotted a certain building with a horseshoe magnet on its door. The sign clearly said that it was the animal shop.

I went up to it and knocked twice on the door. I could hear voices from the inside.

"Julia, can you get the door?" A voice requested and that very instant the door was opened. I looked at the face, trying to make sure I wasn't mistaken. Is this real or am I just in a strange dream? How could this be possible out of the millions of possibilities? Maybe this really is my cousin standing in front of me. Or just her doppelganger…

"Vaughn…" Julian gasped, breaking the silence. "What- how- I mean, what the hell? How're you here?" She struggled to find the words. It was obvious that she had recognized me. _You don't come across purple eyes and silver hair very often now do you?_ Even though it had been more than ten years since we had last met, I still remembered every face I'd ever seen.

"Who is it Ju-" My aunt came from behind, frozen in her steps as her eyes met mine.

"Come on in." Julia said, opening the door wide open. The truth she had acknowledged and a smile was already gracing her lips. I hope she's not as bugging and friendly as she was. Because my two days here would be fucked.

I held the huge cage in front of me, giving it to Julia, "I'll keep it in the coop right away." She giggled to herself and walked behind the store.

"Vaughn, how are you here? How's your mother?" Mirabelle asked, not knowing about anything that had happened in the past years. I wasn't surprised though, we had absolutely lost connection with the Evans family.

"She died." I forced the two words out and invited myself to sit on the couch. I knew there was no point in lying. I didn't even need to look at Mirabelle's face, I don't suppose she must be shocked. She knew it was a possibility when my father apparently turned into the devil he was. Julia had heard me, I heard her gasp from behind me.

"When?" She managed to stutter out.

"6th of Winter in 2009. It's been four years." I told her, not wanting to talk on the topic anymore. I looked up to find Mirabelle tearing silently. Julia must've been too, but I didn't turn behind.

"I never came to know… It's too bad. How?" She said between broken sobs. How could she have known at all?

"Because of _him_. I'd rather not talk bout' it." I said and stood up. Then I walked out of the store to just clear my head for a while. This is _not _what I wanted. I didn't want to take a trip down fucking memory lane. But they deserved to know the truth, no matter how bitter it would be.

I was then walking around the beach. I heard footsteps of someone running towards me.

"Hey." Julia panted beside me, then looked up to face me. "You look different, what's with the cowboy suit?" She smirked. Julia tended to get over things really soon or at least she showed people that. I just narrowed my eyes at her. Of all the things she could possibly say. One thing was sure; she was still the same annoying little brat like before.

"You're the same though." I shot back, looking at the sea.

"Whatever. Do you want me to show you around?" She offered willingly. Like hell, of course not. Like there wasn't enough shit stirred up already.

"You're crazy." I barked in a low tone and turned to walk away.

"And you're rude, that's not fair!" She exclaimed loudly behind me before following me back to wherever I was going. _Someone save me from this two-day misery. _My life's just going to turn into bloody hell. I wish I hadn't chosen to come here in the fucking first place. It was probably something around eight in the morning. What an uneventfully timed that idiotic ferry was. Ate up half of my sleep and then puked me out on this _stupid-sunny-island_.

_**Chelsea**_

My alarm was wrongly timed. Instead of six, I'd set it to eight. That's how my time was wasted. _Never mind, I probably have a lot of time in my hands._ It was fifteen minutes already since I'd woken up and my breakfast was done plus I'd also taken a mini bath. Good thing Chen had delivered my groceries this morning by my door. The note said that I wasn't required to pay him._ How nice. Yet I was going to pay him._ It must be Mirabelle who informed him about it.

I walked out of the door and tried to remind myself of all the things that had to be done today… Watering, clearing the field away, gathering stuff from around the island and shipping them off and that's all. There's no planting any more turnips now, they won't grow. The ones I'd planted yesterday were all.

Let me see… with some help from Taro, I'd hurriedly managed to sow five bags of turnip seeds. That would get me forty five turnips. I would probably earn something around- damn my math's not too good. But anyways, yesterday I had shipped a lot of random stuff and the money wasn't too bad. I _just_ wanted to survive.

A low chuckle escaped my lips as I thought how I had already shifted all this stuff to my first priority.

I grabbed my watering can and filled it with water. _Damn, I strictly have to upgrade this._ I thought as I walked up to the seeded plots. Carefully, I watered, making sure every plot had just received the right amount. After what seemed like a good amount of time, I was done watering.

Clearing the field wasn't too much of a worry since yesterday I'd been able to cover up most of it. Yet, today there were more weeds here and there. The beauty of nature still surprised me. I mean how wonderfully a plant grew up. _It's a huge amazement_- to me at least.

After I was done, I strolled along the farm in pride then laid down in the dirt. I sighed, _this is more than anything I would ever want_.

After making sure I looked just fine, I walked out of my farm. It was extra sunny today, really bright and beautiful. On my way to nowhere in particular, I kept gathering herbs and stuff that I found to keep them in my new rucksack. I had almost finished collecting stuff off the whole island when I saw Julia at the beach. Her back was facing me so I collected seaweed off from a rock and went up to her.

"Hey." I said, putting a hand on her shoulder from behind.

"Oh god you scared me." She turned around with a startled expression.

"What are you doing here?" I shrugged her expression off and asked.

"Nothing, just killing time. Anyways good thing you've come, I gotta show you something." She said excitedly.

"Alright, just let me dump these in the shipment box. Come with me, I'll show you around my farm." I said proudly.

"Sure." She tagged along as we made our way back to the farm. It was a long walk but enjoyable nonetheless.

Once we reached, the sun seemed to have been giving away a lot of heat, making it too hot.

"Oh my god- Chelsea, you managed to do so many things on your farm. Natalie was just dragging herself along here pathetically." She gasped when she looked at the farm.

"It's just not her type of work, not her fault, right?" I explained while putting off all the stuff in the shipment box. It was more than I would've thought. When that was done I invited Julia in my house.

"Speaking of which, did you know Natalie has a really cute brother?" She chirped, an almost-invisible blush creeping her cheeks. _Huh? Cute?_ Natalie has only one brother- Elliot.

"Isn't Elliot her only brother?" I asked while also grabbing a cold water bottle from the fridge. I poured it in a glass and gave it to her. She muttered a '_thanks'_ and chugged it down.

"That's who I'm talking about Chelsea. Elliot! He's so cute." She squeaked.

"Seriously? I don't think so. He's _too_ shy." I shrugged it off and plunked down on the sofa myself. I took a glimpse at the clock, it was about twelve noon. _How farming eats one's time up._

"Don't say that, I kind of like him." Julia pouted and then her face lit up, "You wanted animals right? Well, they've come. Only chickens though. Besides, the animal dealer _also _happens to be my cousin." She stated. Happens to be her cousin? That's a weird coincidence but must be not bad. I didn't want to question her about it.

"That's great, I'll come over." I grinned, thinking it would be only wise if I'd tease her a bit, "But you know, Julia, you'll have to do a _lot_ of persuasion for Elliot." I smirked in her direction.

"If that is what it takes… I'm comin' for you Elliot." Said Julia heroically and I fell into a hysteric set of laughter. After I composed myself, she was already dragging me out to her place. _What was with this girl and dragging? _She had currently started blabbering about something, which I was able to grasp onto in time.

"He looks nice and all that but mind you- he's awfully rude, my cousin, Vaughn." She shrugged her shoulders.

"How can one be awfully rude?" I questioned, raising my eyebrow.

"You'll see…" A devious smirk was planted on her face. I knew better than to question. It was nice spending time with Julia. She had a nice humor and we'd get along pretty well.

"We're here." I let out a useless breath and knocked on the door before realizing that Julia had already welcomed herself in the house.

I looked around for any signs of chickens. There were none. Instead, Mirabelle came in the room looking rather upset but trying hard not to show. "Hello Chelsea, anything I can do to help dear?" She asked with a smile.

"No thanks Mirabelle. Just here to see the chickens. I'm trying to save money for one." I said brightly while Julia came from the back room.

"Mum, where's Vaughn?" Julia asked disappointedly.

"He'd gone out a while ago." Mirabelle answered and went in the kitchen to do whatever she must've been doing.

"Aw never mind. Come behind here Chels." Julia called from behind the room. _Chels? That's a new nickname. _I shrugged it off and went inside of what looked obviously like a place for chickens. I was full of fodder and feathers. There was a huge coop like cage in which the chickens were cheeping frantically.

Julia turned at me and grinned, "What do you think?"

"They make too much noise. But it would be nice to own one." I said truthfully.

"That's because they've never seen us. They're gonna get used to it." Julia said like the chickens were some kind of human beings.

"Are you planning to own animals?" She got up and asked.

"Not now. Probably when Spring ends. That's just five days." I said, turning behind to walk out of the place.

"I understand. You're getting used to everything, aren't you?" She said, understanding what I'd meant by waiting.

"Exactly." I agreed. "Anyways, I gotta go. I'll see you later Julia." I said while walking towards the door, "Bye Mirabelle." I tilted my head to the right to look at her. She waved her hand in return.

"Alright, see you." I heard Julia say as I walked out the door. I started making my way up to the beach for I had no work to do. After I'd crossed it a big mansion caught my eye. Just around it was a girl strolling. Her black hair was neatly flowing behind her back and her glasses were round. She had a very innocent looking face and I could tell that she was rather shy.

"You're Chelsea, right?" She approached me in a timid voice.

"Yeah and you are?" I asked, suddenly curious to know her name.

"Sabrina. My father runs a mining company." She said, stammering and then smiled.

"It's nice to meet you Sabrina. I guess I'll see you around." I waved her goodbye and continued walking towards the beach. The guess I had for the time was half past one. And my gut feelings were almost never wrong. Although it was the peak time for the sun to shine, the rays had become pretty subtle now.

The soft waves hit the shores and then went back. It was a pleasantly nice feeling I got while watching the waves. All that time I had almost never paid heed to the man who was at the further end of the beach. His attire looked like that of a cowboy. _But what's a place without some diversity? _Yet, I didn't know cowboys were even real.

He turned behind, luckily I wasn't staring at him then. I caught a glimpse of his face and man- he was totally fine. And so tall at that too. I generally never thought much about boys but this one here had really caught my attention. And wait- what's with the silver hair? My eyes caught the silver beneath his Stetson. Now _that _is unique!

I hadn't noticed that he was walking away already. Well, doesn't make a difference though. I'd just thought he looked nice, nothing more. Besides, I had lost hope finding love again a long time ago. Well, not long, but at least a year ago. He was the only one tha- _Nope, I am NOT going to think about what happened again, ever!_ _This is where my train of thought goes from the most basic of starts._

I sighed, taking another glance at the calm waves before turning behind and walking back to my place. I looked around for any more stuff to ship off. But the ground was all clear from any kind of herbs. The walk back home was rather silent until someone popped from thin air and I fell behind on my ass.

"Ow, Julia…" I groaned as I looked up at her. She was all smiles. Something must've definitely happened.

"I just talked to Elliot." She squealed and jumped while I sat on the stone ground not being able to get up.

"And?" I questioned as she lend me her hand and I got up.

"And what? I talked to him. I think he's really nice." She gazed up dreamily. My eyes rolled and I patted her shoulder. "I gotta find him. He'll probably be at the beach, bye." And she shot in the direction of the beach.

I walked but my back really hurt, probably because of the stony path. My head was rather dizzy as I walked to nowhere in particular. Without any realization of where I was going whatsoever, my feet kept going on. Then they paused. And I looked around me in shock, it was more like a forest or something. How could I have not noticed it before? Everything around me was lush dark green. The trees, the birds and the silence. It was even better than out there.

Then as I walked further I realized I didn't know how to get out of the forest. But I was too preoccupied by the scenery to even care. Then something hard hit my head. A stone. Guessing the amount of pain it inflicted, it was probably thrown from quite some distance. My hand instinctually went to clutch the behind of my head. _Thrown right?_ Now whoever had thrown this was going to be freaking dead.

I turned behind in the direction where the stone had come from. The huge tree that was hiding the jerk somehow had become invisible when the stone was about to hit me. I was walking straight up to him when I realized he was the same guy from the beach. _Never mind, I bet my ass he's 'Vaughn' and he is awfully rude!_ My head had already been dizzy for so long then, the stone had finally triggered a migraine.

I started making my way up to him when he threw another stone absent-mindedly in front of him. Luckily, I evaded it. _Is that guy bloody crazy? Sitting in the middle of the forest throwing stones with his head facing the ground?!_

"Are you crazy? Throwing stones like that. One hit me." I yelled angrily, but in a low tone.

It took him some time to get my words absorbed into his utterly thick head. He finally looked up, an exasperated expression covering his face. _The nerve! _It almost surprised me.

"You were'n the way, I didn't even see ya there." He shrugged it off like it was no big deal. His voice had a southern twang to it and was enough to send one into a lovely trance. Yet his attitude was crazy. _The arrogance this guy has. _More than the stone, his ignorance was starting to piss me now.

"It would be _okay_ if you just said sorry." I snapped, not having the slightest bit of effect on him.

"Jeez, sorry." He mumbled rudely before getting up and walking away. _Jeez, sorry. _That's not the way of apologizing. As much as I disliked him already, he knew the way out.

"Wait, I've lost my way." I mumbled since I did not want to take his help.

"It'd be _okay_ if you jus' left me alone." He shot back my own line to me.

"Fine then. I hope you get lost, jerk!" I shouted before walking ahead of him.

_I just met him and I already dislike him so much. I wanted to be nice with everyone but I had just made an exception for antisocial, rude and gorgeously impolite assholes! Well, I'll have to remember to tell Julia how badly right she was…_

* * *

_**Bwahaha, I started them off so roughly that I have absolutely no idea how they'll get close. Well, if you have an 'idea' then please do share it. Julia is currently drooling over Elliot's photo I suppose ;")  
I would especially like to hear what you think about their 'meeting.'  
Stay tuned for the next one, no promises this time…**_


	5. Making Progress

_**I am so absolutely sorry for the late update. Well, the thing is that for FIVE-damned-days my internet was gone! It was truly tragic for an internet-nerd like me. I cried in desperation. Haha well, here is the next chapter :"D**_

* * *

_**Making Progress**_

* * *

"_Every little progress you make, feels like the biggest achievement on the road to accomplishing something."_

* * *

_**Chelsea**_

"So Chelsea, it's the crop judging festival on the twenty-ninth. I'm telling this to you in advance if you wish to participate as well. But it's only your first year dear, so be easy on yourself." Felicia explained, while I picked it up intently. _Crop judging?_ It was basically where your crops were judged. Besides, I could apply one of my turnips if they were grown till then. _Winning or losing aren't really much of a matter_. But I would lose. I just knew it because I always lost._ Always!_ But I still tried nonetheless.

"Thanks Felicia. I think I'll submit my crops." I nodded, receiving a warm smile from Felicia.

"That's great!" She exclaimed, her eyes closed like always. "I have go now, come over sometime." She invited before leaving.

I was definitely going to enter this. Would it even matter if I lost? Of course not. But I could really do with a little hope. Although it wasn't possible as I was used to losing. I rested back down on the bed, my arms and legs spread wide. A deep sigh escaped my lips. As I was closing my eyes, a knock on the door held me back. I lazily got up and dragged myself through the place. The door opened and Julia's smiling face came into view.

"Hello. Are you done working?" She asked and invited herself in the house and fell down on the sofa.

"Aha, I am." I replied enthusiastically, ready to chat about whatever would keep me busy and plopped down on the sofa beside Julia. A shock vibrated through my spine by the action. My back was still hurting from yesterday's fall. I hadn't thought it would still be tender after a day. And my head well, there was this constant pain throughout the back of my skull. Part of it was my fault, since I was too lazy to take medicines.

"Why're you limping?" Julia asked, concerned. _When the hell was I limping?_ Oh well, she must've noticed.

"I'm limping because my lovely friend popped out of nowhere and resulted my fall on the stone hard ground. Besides, her idiotic cousin hit me on the head with a stone." I said, trying to make it sound like a speech but failed because my laughter came through.

Julia started laughing, then she forcibly stopped, "Vaughn hit you with a stone? That's hilarious." This time she burst out laughing and I narrowed my eyes at her only to have her laugh even harder.

"That's not funny!" I yelled in my defense. "Besides, it was accidental and yes- he _is_ awfully rude." I muttered, Julia's laughter reducing. She took a deep breath and held herself tight-lipped incase she'd start laughing again.

"He's not bad though. But yes- it is funny." Julia said through tiny giggles that escaped from her throat. Then within a second, her facial expression completely changed. A look of dread and worry sank in, "I-totally-forgot! Mum's gonna kill me." She stopped dead with a horror-stricken face. "I seriously have to go, bye Chels." And she dashed out the door. _Great! Now what am I supposed to do? _

It was almost three thirty and everything that had to be done was finished. Luckily, today I woke up at the right time. Still, I wasn't feeling sleepy, probably because I slept so early last night. I was personally preferring this schedule more than the one where you slept late and woke up late. It just saved _so much_ time when I woke up early.

I got up, made my way to the door to take a walk. The sun blinded my eyes for a second. When my eyes felt accustomed to it, I opened them fully. After walking for some time, I thought maybe I could go back to that forest. But unfortunately, I had absolutely no idea where it was situated. And as much as I had seen, I didn't think anyone would know where it was except for that jerk. There was no way I would take his help. _None!_

My legs felt rather tired by all the working. I stopped at the beach and sat on the warm sand. My shorts being really light, let the warmth penetrate through it which threatened to burn my ass. I scooted uncomfortably for some time before finally getting up.

Then there was a sudden tap on my shoulder and as I was about to turn, a figure stood in front of me. He was tall, causing me to step behind to see his face. In front of me, stood a tan guy with shabby brown hair messily wrapped in a purple bandana. A strange bird sat on his shoulder with the weirdest of looks. _One would as well mistake him to be a pirate by his attire_. A smirk formed on his face as he stepped forward.

"I'm Denny." The cockiness in his tone and smile increasing by the second. I raised an eyebrow then decided than it would only be fair if he knew my name too.

"Chelsea." I said dryly before forcing a smile and turning to walk away, but a hand clutched my wrist. _This guy is so dead! _I pulled my hand back turned to look at him, my head tossed to my right in annoyance.

"Just wanted to talk to a beautiful lady." He shrugged his shoulder, flashing a charming smile in defense. It was good to hear a compliment but he was so _annoying_. Truthfully, there was something in that smile and the way his brown eyes lit up but I was pretty pissed off at him to notice it that much.

"That grin-" I pointed my fingers to his face, "is not gonna work." I snapped in a low tone, turning to walk away for real that time. I could swear I heard him chuckle. _The nerve!_

"You're the farmer I reckon." He called from behind, eagerness in his voice. I turned- not wanting to talk yet in no mood to ignore- and nodded my head with a tiny smile that I didn't require to force out._ Now he probably knows his trick won't work on me. That makes him normal._

"Yes you reckon right, and you?" I asked, deciding to have a little chat with whomsoever this Denny guy was and trying to keep my temper at bay. I didn't feel the need to overreact, he didn't seem like a bad person at all.

"The fisherman, heard o' this place, wanted to take a look around." He replied, his voice lost the cockiness and became rather warm. His accent was attractive, not something I heard very often.

"Oh, you fish?" I blurted out like a dumb nut, getting a chuckle from him.

"Yeah pretty good too. You can come here anytime, I'll teach you." He offered, still grinning. _I'm starting to like this guy now, could be a really nice friend if his flirty habits are cut out._

"Yeah sure." I showed my teeth awkwardly in a smile, my eyes crinkled by the sunlight falling on them. He stifled a quiet laughter in again. _Am I funny? _I guess not, my clumsiness might be. It was getting really hot out there, I had to get inside somewhere. "Look Denny, I gotta go, will surely come around sometime." I waved my hand and walked out of the beach with a quick pace. _Denny? Nice, but just with a flirty attitude that didn't work on me. _Besides, it was nice to make new friends.

I walked with my head hung down, repelling the sunlight as much as possible, and trying to sum up my expenses. By now, I had enough money to buy a chicken since I already had some with me before I crashed here. It had been only _two_ days on the island and it already felt like home. The only money that I required was probably for eating right now. Half of the money that I earned in the last two days was kept for my emergency needs. Keeping that apart, I _could_ afford a chicken if I wanted to.

I had almost reached my farm before I decided I did want a chicken and ran up to my house in a haste. My forehead hit the door really hard and as the knob turned I was thrown in automatically, my whole body lying face-down along with the curses popping out of my mouth. I scrambled to my feet and rotated my neck which had been strained. After that, I went in the bedroom and pulled the mattress up. This was seriously the best place I could hide money from my own sight. But right now, I desperately wanted a chicken. I didn't quite know why, but I just wanted one.

Then it hit me that I needed a chicken shed!

My heart sank like the titanic with despair. _Here I was making dreams when in the first place I was an insomniac! _You don't dream if you don't sleep. In the same manner; you don't have chickens without a chicken shed... unless of course you'd want them shitting around your house. Which I did _not _want!

I still kept the money in my rucksack and walked outside. To my surprise, I did have a chicken shed. Guess it had been made while Natalie and Elliot were tending this place since it looked utterly untouched. But my excitement was gone and I thought it would be best if I just waited a bit before getting animals. _My sober and non-excited self was much better at making decisions after all._

I walked back in the house and sprawled like a bear on the bed; my legs aching and my head hurting. Why did I have to get myself hurt so much, _on a daily basis? _Something about the very hot weather outside was soothing me. Then soon before I knew it, I was lulled to sleep.

_**Vaughn **_

Julia came out from the kitchen with a dramatic expression stuck on her face and fell down on the couch beside me. A tired sigh escaped her mouth. _Stupid idiot!_ All the milk that Mirabelle had kept for boiling had spilt over the marble counters. I wasn't here, and she wasn't either. Most of her time she roamed around the island. And even though aunt had told her to keep a watch, she'd forgotten.

"You could've helped me clean up, you know? The stench of that bloody milk isn't going away." She said, and turned to look at me. _Me? _I wouldn't help her. _Lazy prat, can't do half the things herself. _Besides, milk didn't stink, her taste was just too poor.

"_Whose_ mistake was it?" I spat out, her eyes throwing daggers at me without any success.

"Jerk." She mumbled in frustration, while I decided to ignore her for my own good. After what seemed like ten seconds, she decided to irritate me again, "Why'd you hit Chelsea anyways?" She asked curiously, her eyes lighting up. _Who's Chelsea? I never hit anyone, why would I? _The question went through my mind for quite some time till it struck me about that idiot from the forest.

"I din', it was unintended." I slurred, doubting whether she'd even heard it or not.

"And here I was trying to make a conversation." She sank deeper in the couch and shut her eyes.

"Yer in need of a doctor." I snapped at her before getting up and walking to the door.

"And you need a friend." She shot back in amusement and quickly went in her room, her hands hanging by her sides lazily. I didn't understand what big work she'd done to get so tired. I opened the door and decided to go to the beach. It was almost always empty, making it a quiet place to waste my time at. _Only a few more hours, then I'm out of this crazy island full of crazy people._

The sky was getting cooler, the evening sun just on the brim of going down and the waves were getting calmer. I sighed, it was irritating to do this; stay in one place for so long and waste half your time by doing the same. I'd gotten used to Mineral town but this place- not so much. Although there was my family, I preferred it to be alone rather than in company. The ferry was timed to come at around one am, then I'd be back in the city.

_**Chelsea**_

My eyes slowly curled back open, trying to see through the darkness of the room. I'd dozed off with the lights off in the afternoon and now it's probably dark. Guess I'd slept unintentionally _again_, which says I'll have a hard time sleeping at night. _Wait- what's the time now anyways? _I pushed the curtains; it was utterly dark outside and eerily silent too, except if the creepy sound of owls and some howls were counted.

I stretched my right arm to switch the lights on. They flickered for a second then lit the room up, making my eyes uncomfortable.

I sat up, feeling too refreshed to go back to sleep since I had a pretty good nap. I glanced at the clock, narrowing my eyes in speechlessness. _It said one sixteen in the morning! _Either I'd really slept so long or my clock was just wrongly timed.

I waited for some time, letting my sleepy head settle down so that I could think more clearly. But it didn't make a difference, the time what really that late. I cursed myself lowly for sleeping so much. Honestly, I had absolutely no idea at all how it was triggered. I wasn't tired nor was I sleepy. I guess I'll just have to let it go. The time I stupidly lost wouldn't come back and plus my whole sleeping pattern would get messed up.

Then I got up finally, stretching my arms and arching my back to let the grogginess go away. I made my way to the kitchen to eat something but brushing first seemed like a better idea. So I went in the bathroom and grabbed my brush. After what seemed like a minute, I was done brushing and my mouth felt so much fresher.

The fridge held only one appealing item, and that was the orange juice I hadn't touched since a whole day. I poured some in a glass and chugged the whole thing down in two gulps. After drinking some water, the boredom started creeping in, making me feel rather uncomfortable.

At first, I thought about going out. Then it started seeming like a bad idea for it was way past the time to casually walk around. The howls were little bit frightening but seemed harmless enough to be ignored. After some time, I finally gave in to my boredom and walked up to the door to go outside.

The cold night air struck me, but it was very gentle whilst it was curling around my open skin like silk. It was utterly quiet outside. But if this were the city, it would never be this silent.

I walked over the bridge, making my way to my usual spot- the beach. It was my most favorite place on this island. Something about the waves was very calming, acting like a natural head-clearing spot for me.

I looked around, there was no source of light except for the moon. It hung high in the sky like a bulb, illuminating the place with its silver rays. In no time, I was already at the beach. The silence was getting broken by the subtle noise of the waves crashing the sand gracefully.

Something distracted me out of my observation; the silhouette of a person sitting on the white sand. I could tell who it was pretty clearly though because of the hat placed on his head. _It was the annoying cowboy._ It seemed as though he didn't really acknowledge my presence, and it made me feel rather glad. _But why the hell is he awake at this time of the hour? _As much as he was rude, he had started striking me as a creepy person too.

I walked up, closer to the sea, trying to keep my distance from him but then I thought that I would be equally rude if I did so. Besides, maybe he really wasn't that bad. But he was still anti-social in my eyes.

As soon as I was in his eye-sight range, he turned his head up to look. As he saw me, his eyebrows furrowed and a confusing look spread across his face. He looked unquestionably gorgeous under the moonlight. Then he went back to staring at the sea, his legs lying in front of him.

After what seemed like a minute, I sat down myself, letting my eyes take the breathtaking scene in; the moon could be seen clearly in the mirror that was the sea. My arms were wrapped around my knees in an attempt to keep myself warm. It was almost silent for a while until I decided to speak up, "Why're you up so late?" I asked, trying to keep my tone low to let the silence be. I didn't know why I asked, because I had absolutely no intention of making a conversation with him.

After a few seconds he replied in a low tone, "Concerns ya?" _Concerns me? _No sir, I'm hundred percent sure that I am not concerned. Well, at least he didn't go ahead with his rude remarks again. Because if he did, he'd surely have it from me.

"I mean, it's really late so it's strange. People would think you're a creepy nut-head, you know?" I emphasized my point in detail, getting nothing but an even weirder look from him.

"Yer no different then." He shot back _gently _in a barely audible tone. _Well, guy's got a point. But I have a reason and he doesn't. _Then I heard a ship coming in the direction of the island, the sound of the horn increasing as it etched closer. I could swear I heard him say, "Fucking finally." in the lowest possible tone. With that, he got up brushed the sand of his hands. _Maybe that's his ferry._ Well, I didn't know his stay was of two days only. Maybe he'd be back.

"That's the ship I was waitin' fer." He said, then smirked victoriously after looking in the other direction thinking I hadn't seen. But I had.

"Alright then, goodnight." I gave up. I sighed before getting up myself and watching him board the ship. He didn't turn to look behind, not that I wanted him to but this time he was definitely more polite than the last. There was another trumpet of the ship-horn and then it turned to leave.

I spun around to walk out of the beach, dragging my lazy feet across the sand and dangling my hands. My left foot got caught in some sort of strange plant and tripped me face-down. The sand filled my mouth and poked my eyes. I struggled and got up with a rather twisted body, trying to get the plant out of my foot. Then after a lot of tugging, pulling and whatnot- my foot was finally free.

Irritated and frustrated, I walked with heavy footsteps in a haste to go back home. My eyes hurt, and my mouth and throat were stinging with the grains of sand that refused to leave.

After what seemed like a grumpy walk, I was finally in my house. I ran to the bathroom basin, and splashed my face with water. I spat the remnants of the sand out and gargled with a mouthful of water. Every nerve of mine was on fire with frustration of being so clumsy. Not a day had gone by when I hadn't fallen or gotten hurt by one way or another.

I walked out of the house again. This time only to look at my farm. It had come to a pretty good progress and the microscopic sprouts of my turnips could be seen. It made me feel rather proud of what I was doing. It amazed me how all this stuff grew. Obviously, it was the work of nature but still- to me, it was no less than a miracle. Somehow my anger seemed to have faded away and so did the warmth that it made me feel.

I walked back in the house, trying to recollect everything that had happened. I'd met a new islander who happened to be a fisher. And also I was able to talk nicely to Vaughn who happened to be a bit cold. Personally, it was a big achievement as I was able to keep my temper calm. That was the only that I _felt _particularly stupid for; my anger. But sometimes it just flew out of my head and straight to my mouth.

Well, at least today was a progress and hell, I felt like the biggest winner of all time for growing those turnips and keeping my shipment steady. _What comes next can only not be cared about, or maybe when that bridge has to be crossed…_

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_**Aah finally done :") Well, it was fun to write about their encounter in this chapter. And one question for you guys; has anyone whose reading this participated in the NaNoWriMo contest. As for me, no. Next year I will hopefully try. Writing 50,000 words in a month can stir one's nerves up, totally! **_

_**Erm, tell me what you think of this and do share your honest opinions. And thanking all the reviewers so far, I jump at every new review I get :"D**_


	6. Gone Fishing

_**Hey y'all- my lovely readers. Update for you :")**_

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_**Gone Fishing**_

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_Time runs faster when it is particularly being enjoyed._

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_**Chelsea**_

Days flew quickly when work occupied them. I had been anticipating today for three days now. It was the _'Crop Judging' _contest. I was admittedly scared though. To my utmost relief, the turnips had grown. But there was still nervousness that had been eating me up.

I was required to pick a turnip and get to the Meadow to submit it. Yet here I sat, without having harvested my turnips or shipped a single thing. After a quick realization, I kicked my feet off the ground and stood like a soldier in my bedroom. _That's too ambitious, Chelsea._ I sighed and walked out of my house, the weather instantly lightening my mood up. It was a very pleasant day indeed. And despite the very warm air, there was this gentle coolness beneath it.

I gently plucked my turnips from the soil, and kept them in a basket I'd found in my house. After having collected everything, it became a battle whether I wanted to keep the turnips or to ship them off. Because, _come on, those are MY turnips. I grew them._ But that was my childish side speaking. I wiped the dirt off the turnips and put all of them in the shipment box except for one which looked and seemed like the best.

It felt great to have grown all that stuff. But of course they were a work of nature, yet, no short of a miracle.

I went back in the house, to wash the soil off the turnip. I had to admit though, my plants didn't look as miserable as I'd thought they would. In fact, after washing it, I swear I could see a shine on the surface of my turnip. _But everyone likes what they've done, right?_

The clock ticked nine, and I rushed out of my house. _That sounded a lot like Cinderella, but luckily I have both my boots stuck to my feet. _

While walking, I decided to collect all the herby stuff on my way to Meadow Island. So I did. But unfortunately, I got too carried away and took a whole bloody circle around the island collecting things. It was just my daily routine that had me do this, nothing else.

But luckily for me, the crop entering time was extended up to six in the evening. As for me, six in the evening was plain _overrated_. They could just have it till twelve noon. But there's no explaining I wanted to do today. So, in order to take full advantage of the time given, I went back to my farm and shoved all of my collections in the shipment box. Since today was an event, there was supposed to be no shipping but Taro thought it'd be too much of a loss. Personally, I was pleased by his decision.

I got distracted by a grumbling Julia banging my door, very pissed off and angry at something.

"Leave my door, Julia. I'm behind you." I said with amusement. She was a bit startled I'd say. But she marched up to me glared at me sharply.

"I've-been- searching-everywhere-for-you!" She said slowly through her gritted teeth, trying to suppress the anger. Then in a minute her face softened. _Typical._ "Where were you? I was worried, you weren't anywhere." She sighed. This made sense- I went to places collecting, so Julia couldn't find me in one place.

"I was collecting stuff for shipment." I chuckled, "Come on, there's this crop judging that'll be taking place. I'm participating too." I beamed at her.

She started laughing slowly, "Chels, you have like, told that to me for the thousandth time."

"Not thousandth!" I yelled in my defense and we started making our way to Meadow Island.

"Whatever, do you have your turnip." She asked. _Yes I did._

"Mhm." I nodded, showing her my turnip.

"It's so cute. You could wrap a ribbon around its-"

"Julia wait- it's a _vegetable. _Besides, the judges would probably think I'm crazy." I explained. _Seriously this girl! _

"So? But you know what? You're so gonna win this." She patted my shoulder. _Such should be friends._

"Thanks Julia. But I don't think so." I said as a matter-of-factly. She pouted. _Well, she has a point though. My turnip's totally white and its leaves are lush green in color. _Someone might as well be crazy to call this turnip bad. Besides, I could happily axe them.

"We'll see that." She smirked now, making me curious.

"What is it?" I asked knowingly. There was definitely something going on in this girl's head.

"Elliot's gonna be there." She grinned so widely, that _my_ cheeks were hurting. She was suppressing her squeals.

I started laughing at her childishness, "Alright Julia. We're here, besides, you're correct." I pointed my finger lowly to indicate the pink hared boy, "_Speak of the devil."_ I said that devilishly indeed. As soon as her eyes spotted Elliot, a pink color started filling her cheeks.

"Idiot, do _not _point!" She whispered furiously and smacked my head lightly.

"Okay." I agreed through broken laughs.

"Just a min, Chels. I'll be back." She mumbled and dashed in the direction of poor Elliot. _God, I only hope Elliot is not too chicken for her, seeing as Julia is pretty much his opposite._

I sighed, after walking in the direction where the crops were to be submitted. I hadn't noticed it before, but there were a lot of people I didn't recognize. Meaning, they weren't from the island.

I reached the table and a thin lady with black hair sat there. Red lipstick was painted over her lips and needless to say it looked sort of awkward. From what I could see, she'd worn a white top with cap sleeves.

Seeing me, she stood. A smile gracing her lips and her small eyes twinkling. I'd say she was in her forties. But I literally spent too much time taking a person's appearance in. Personally, it felt like a rather bad habit. She straightened her long black skirt before speaking, "Do you wish to enter this contest?"

"Erm, yes. I suppose my name must be there." I said timidly for no particular reason. It was true that my name was there in the list. Yesterday, Felicia had come to take my name to have it enrolled or so she'd said. The pale lady sat down, picked up a sheet with a list of names and looked up at me questioningly. "Chelsea Miller." I stuttered quickly. For some stupid, weird and strange reason- this woman was a bit frightening to me.

"Yes it is. Have you bought your crop?" She asked softly.

"Oh yes, here." I gave her my turnip with slight doubt as to where exactly she'd put it. She bent down and kept it somewhere. Apparently, there were small sections under the desk of the table which had names stuck on them. _What now?_ "I can go right?" I asked.

"Yes, yes. But be sure to be back here by six. The judging is probably going to take place then." She told me and I simply nodded before walking away. _Phew, that was scary. _I have never met a more intimidating woman in my life before. Not that I don't shy away from people occasionally, but still!

I roamed around the place for a while. Nothing else seemed to be of particular interest so I sat on a bench, looking observantly at all the people. Julia seemed to have vanished into thin air but this wasn't the first time.

I noticed a blonde girl wearing blue overalls over a plaid shirt submitting her crops at the same spot as I had. She smiled and walked away from there after her work was done. I noticed her walking towards nowhere in particular, not that it had anything to do with me. But she was a competitor too.

I stared at the ground for god knows how long before I felt a timid tap on my shoulder.

"You okay?" She asked, concerned, probably having noticed my vacant expression. It was the same blonde contestant I'd seen earlier.

"Um, yeah. Thanks." I nodded with a smile. "So, you're in this?" I asked.

"Yeah. Actually I'm the Mineral town farmer." She beamed at me. _Obviously she's a farmer. _

"I'm Chelsea." I introduced myself to her.

"Claire." She instantly replied. "So I've heard you're new to all this."

"Well, yeah. What about you?" I asked. For some unknown reason, I was liking this girl. Maybe it was about her warm attitude. I always liked nice people.

"It's been me a year. I had no idea I'd come this far in mineral town." She grinned more to herself now. _God alone might know what's in her head._ A year?! It must take a lot of hard work to run a farm for a year. Obviously she must have animals.

"A year? It must be hard. How'd you start farming anyway?" I questioned, watching her blue eyes light up. Her eyes were just so blue. Unlike mine, which were a strange shade of blue. Claudia loved my eyes. She'd say that they were the most unique shade of blue she'd ever seen. _How I missed her sometimes._

"I saw the farm in an ad. Although, I was fooled by the cheesy description and was very angry to have been tricked- it was still the best thing that ever happened to me." She said it in a very dreamy way, and after she was done she asked me, "What about you?" _Er, about me? I was caught up in storm then got puked out by the sea on this island._

I chuckled nervously at the thought of the storm, "Er, I had no intention of farming. Actually, well- I was going to a different place but I was caught up in a storm and then I was washed up here a month ago. Apparently, I woke up after some three weeks." I told her about my tale with lesser enthusiasm than she did but I had more to say, "But farming's better than I thought. Best thing that happened to me too." I smiled brightly.

"Are you talking about the storm that occurred a month ago? That was terrible, it hit Mineral town too. Luckily, since it was the ending of winter I had no crops that got damaged." She sighed with relief. _If I were to have my crops damaged by the storm- I'd hunt the storm down and kill it. _Then a sadder look covered her face, "Although one of my chickens got out of her coop and died in the storm."

"I'm so sorry, it's too bad." I said, feeling genuinely sorry for her.

"I know." She agreed and nodded her head. Her expression changed from sad to normal, "Don't you have animals, Chelsea?" She asked.

"No, I kind of wanted to wait before getting them. You know? Get used to everything." I explained, and she nodded in agreement.

"I understand." She said. "In fact, my first animal wasn't a chicken. I got a free horse by the guy who sold animals. And even though it's generally useless, it makes up for a good pet." She added in.

"Wow, they keep horses there in Mineral town?" I asked in amazement, because from what I'd heard, horses weren't really used in farming. _And getting a free horse is just plain gold._

"No, actually it was Barley's personal horse which he couldn't quite take care of." She answered and then mumbled, "Vaughn would be utterly pissed if he were to bring horses." _Vaughn? _As in, animal dealer Vaughn? _Obviously. Now how many Vaughn named animal dealers do you know, Chelsea?_

"Vaughn? Animal dealer?" I asked, making it seem like I was uninterested but it was quite the opposite.

"Yeah. You know him?" She asked eagerly, suddenly interested in the conversation.

"Nah. Apparently he's sort of mute to talk or just plain rude." I shrugged it off while mumbling heatedly.

Claire started laughing at that, "He's not bad. But I guess I'll have to agree with you." She said amusingly, obviously agreeing with me. _But why does everyone say that he's not bad when I don't even say he is. Do I make him sound like a villain? Guess I'll have to see for myself. _

"Maybe." I muttered, then changed the topic around, "So Claire, what are you going to do till six in the evening?" I asked and she frowned to herself, probably realizing she has to waste a lot of time.

"I don't know and I don't understand why they have to make us wait for so long." She said that fast and furiously. _That's a movie buddy. _I chuckled to myself at that.

"You could come over to my farm." I laid forth an option and she smiled while nodding.

We got up, and I led the way to my farm. All along she was saying how nice it was to live on an island. It was really cool to meet someone with similar interests, attitude and whatnot. She and I were really very alike, I don't know if it's our occupation that gives us so much to talk about, but I really don't care.

"We're here." I let out a deep breath.

"Seems like you've cleared your farm up." She said while looking at the farm land. "You know, to me clearing the farm is the most boring thing ever. Your farm is so clean that it makes me jealous." She stated.

"Actually you're right." I nodded in agreement and walked up to my house. I opened it and walked inside. "You want to eat something?" I asked, like I always did when someone came over to my place even if my fridge was empty.

"No thanks, Chelsea. I'm full." She declared and sat on the sofa. I filled a glass with chilled water and offered it to her, which she readily accepted. Just then, there was a knock on the door. I opened it to see Felicia.

"Chelsea, they've decided to start the judging as all the contestants have finished applying. I suppose you'll have to be there in five minutes, dear." She announced and patted my shoulder before walking away hurriedly. Behind me, I heard Claire groan in disappointment before she got up, ready to go out.

"There's a change in the plan just when I accept the older one." She grumbled slowly.

I laughed, "Well said."

When we had reached Meadow Island, the place was crowded, making it hard to see what was going on. But luckily, they were announcing the stuff I wanted to hear.

"We've finished the judging and we have three places." The short, brown haired man announced who I assumed was one of the judge.

"Three? I thought there was only one winner." I whispered to Claire so she would hear me.

"There's always three places." She stated back in a whisper amongst the loud noise of people talking.

Then my heart started beating really fast with anticipation. Although I thought I wouldn't win, it was just a human instinct to hope.

"We have Mister Richard James who has achieved the third place." The same man announced and a guy- probably in his thirties- walked over to the judging table. _If that man is in his thirties and has won a third place, I don't stand a chance._

"How many people took part, Claire?" I asked her.

"Um, maybe twenty." She said thoughtfully. _Twenty?!_

"Twenty?!" I asked dreadfully.

"Yes, farmers from everywhere want to compete and besides, I took a peek in the lady's register to be frank." Claire muttered.

"The second position has been claimed by Miss Chelsea Miller." The judge announced and I stared at him like a dumbfounded idiot. _Is he bloody crazy?! I can't win. That too second place! _I stood there for what seemed like a few seconds. Claire pushed me and said 'Go!'

I walked up to the table where the three judges sat, all of them smiling brightly at me. One of them was a lady with reddish brown hair who handed me a package, which I supposed was the prize. I was too shocked to look at it.

"We've heard you're new Chelsea. But your crop was undeniably well-grown. Congratulations." The other man congratulated me. They said some other things too while I simply stood there.

"T-Thanks." I muttered and gave them a smile before walking back to where Claire stood.

"Congratulations Chelsea." She squealed. "I couldn't secure even third place in my first year. You're absolutely great." She patted my back. _I won? I WON! I bloody won! This should go down in history- "Chelsea Miller, the girl who always lost, secured second place in the Crop Judging Contest."_

I laughed for the first time after getting that I really won, "Thanks. This is really great." I chuckled, trying to keep my excitement at bay.

"And the first place has been claimed by Miss Claire Wright. Congratulations!" The judge announced Claire's name and I clapped loudly. She looked happy and a wee bit shocked of course.

"That's amazing Claire. Go." I patted her shoulder, giving her a light push. Claire walked over to the judges table and smiled at all of them brightly, shaking everyone's hand. Suddenly, someone gave me a bear hug from behind- _Julia._

"I told you Chelsea. I told you your turnip was really cute." She said victoriously, like she was the one that had won. I laughed at her comment and nodded my head.

"Thanks for predicting my future." I giggled, and she bowed her head.

"Anytime." She said, and gave me a high-five. Claire was back by now and she stood beside me. Julia turned to her and extended her hand, "Congrats to you." Julia greeted her and Claire happily shook her hand as a 'thank you.'

"Well, this is over now. Congratulating all of our three winners and a big thank-you to everyone who participated. We hope to see you next time." The three judges declared together.

"You did great Claire." She nudged her with my elbow to get her attention.

Claire chuckled, "Thank you, Chelsea." Then she proceeded to say something else, "Um, it's almost twelve now. There's a ferry that comes at twelve." She stated, "It was great meeting you Chelsea. Write to me if possible. I hope to see you soon." She smiled at me and shook my hand.

"Of course. Er, Claire? Your ferry will be here in five minutes. You'll have to make a run to the beach." I told her as I glanced at someone's wrist watch. Her eyes widened for a second and then she hugged me lightly before walking away in a rush. "See you soon." I yelled for her to hear.

"You too." I heard her voice fade away as she was out of sight. _Poor girl. _It takes at least five minutes for me to reach the beach. Hopefully, she'll catch her ferry. And if she does not, then she's always welcome to stay at my place.

I started walking over to my house when I realized that the people were going away. Many shot me a smile as a 'congratulations' and walked on. Then someone familiar jumped in front of me. It was Denny. He smiled cheerfully when his eyes met mine.

"Good work, farmer." He grinned at me, in his own personal style of saying congrats.

"Thank you, fisherman. Caught any good fishes lately?" I shot back at him, in his own way.

He laughed, "No, actually I've been outta island for the past two days." His tone as solemn as it could get.

"Why?" I asked, he just raised his eyebrow.

"Do I need a reason? Because I was bored, dummy." He drawled and then smirked, "Anyways, you got a fishing rod?" _Fishing rod?_ Yes, Taro had given me one just a few days ago as a gift.

"Um, yes. Why?" I asked, curious to know what exactly was on his mind.

"You wanna fish? I'm bored." He said lazily.

"I don't know how to fish." I told him, and he gave me a look that said _'But I do.'_

"I could teach you." He offered and I readily accepted.

"Fine. But I'll have to grab the fishing rod." I accepted, partly because I was bored and partly because I'd get to learn something new.

"I'll be at the beach."

…

"How many times have I told you to not throw away your fish back in the water?" Denny asked me yet again.

"Well, they're living things." I yelled lowly in my defense. He just narrowed his eyes at me as if to say _'Seriously?'_

"Fishes're made for us. You could make money from 'em. Hell, I fish for a living. And besides, crops are livin' things too." He smirked back triumphantly. _Unfortunately, he had a point._

"Fine." I threw the rod back in the water and waited. And waited. _And waited._ "There is definitely a technique for fishing. For every lucky fish I catch, you catch five." I said impatiently.

"No there isn't. It's just an in born talent, you see?" He caught another fish and slumped it in a bucket while smirking. _This guy smirks way too much._

"Hmph, show off." I muttered, just then I felt a tug on my rod from the other side. I pulled the rod up vertically and started reeling back hastily. It was quite heavy and truth to be told- I felt absolutely ecstatic whenever I felt the tug of a fish. Finally, the fish was out of the water and my eyes widened at it. _It was bloody big!_

"Woah! Good job." Denny cheered from beside me and patted my back. I giggled proudly and held the whimpering fish in my hand. It was a pitying thing to watch. I was just about to throw it back in when Denny snatched it from me.

"I won't let you throw this back in. It's so good." He marveled at the fish's size. Then was when I realized the time. It was evening already. I couldn't believe the time.

"It's pretty late, isn't it? I should go." I stated while getting up. He stood up in that very instant and gave me my fish back. I put it in a bucket and turned to walk away. "Thanks, it was fun." I muttered to him.

He chuckled, "Time spent with me, and not fun? Impossible." I started laughing at his _I'm-so-full-of- myself _attitude, "See you later." He waved his hand.

"Yeah, bye." I shot him a smile before walking away. Earlier, Denny had offered me the fishes he'd caught but I refused politely for I thought it'd be too heavy. He was seriously too friendly and kind. I smiled to myself as I was also reminded that I'd won the second place in today's competition.

I walked in the farm property, and then in my house. Keeping the fish in the fridge my eyes spotted the prize I'd won today. I had completely forgotten about it! I rushed over and tore the fancy paper away. It held a wonderful stone I'd been longing to buy for some time now. I silently clapped to myself and put the stone away, planning to take it to Charlie sometime later.

Today was the _best-day-ever! _'I won something.' I thought to myself as I fell back on my bed with a stupid grin stuck to my face.

_No one could dare and ruin this now. Because if they did- well, what I'd do is just too gory to be said._

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_**And it's done. –hands cookies out- A huge cookie to all those who've reviewed :"D Let me know what you think of Denny. I personally just want to keep Chelsea and him as friends because Vaughn's obviously better, you know? But still, anything you have to say is very much welcome :")**_


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